On Perfect Friendship: An Outline and a Guide to Aristotle's Philosophy of Friendship

Author (Your Name)

Kristen Psaty, Colby CollegeFollow

Date of Award

2010

Document Type

Honors Thesis (Open Access)

Department

Colby College. Philosophy Dept.

Advisor(s)

Valérie M. 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.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/honorstheses/589

Copyright

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