Date of Award
2010
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
Department
Colby College. Philosophy Dept.
Advisor(s)
Valerie Dionne
Second Advisor
Lydia Moland
Third Advisor
Holly Moore
Abstract
Providing insight into such timeless questions as: What is friendship? Are the best friends similar or dissimilar? and Does having friends make you a better person?, the paper addresses the importance of friendship for Aristotle, but also for the modern reader as well.
A topic of special philosophical concern, Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) considered friendship to be necessary in achieving a virtuous and fulfilling life. Consequently, he wrote more about friendship than any other virtue he presented. This paper lays the foundation for understanding Aristotle’s philosophy of friendship as well as its position within his larger moral schema. The image of Aristotle’s perfect friend is then examined, raising several important concerns pertaining to virtue and equality. As the implications of Aristotle’s perfect friendship are exposed, ON PERFECT FRIENDSHIP traces the evolution of friendship within philosophy, touching on Cicero, Montaigne and Derrida in order to challenge and explore the model put forward by Aristotle.
Keywords
Philosophy of friendship, Aristotle, Aristotle's philosophy of friendship, equality in philosophy of friendship, fraternity
Recommended Citation
Psaty, Kristen, "On Perfect Friendship: An Outline and a Guide to Aristotle's Philosophy of Friendship" (2010). Honors Theses. Paper 589.http://digitalcommons.colby.edu/honorstheses/589
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