The Essence of Friendship: A Generous Interpretation of Aristotle

Abstract

This paper revisits Aristotle’s account of friendship in The Nicomachean Ethics. I argue that Aristotle’s broad, detailed framework offers us a cogent characterisation of friendship that contemporary philosophical accounts are often lacking. Aristotle provides a foundational understanding of what friendship is, how it is created, and why it can take different forms. Yet, the theory is often dismissed in light of its seemingly contradictory or confusing elements. By addressing key concerns about Aristotle’s argument, such as the ‘perfect’ nature of essential friendships, and the number of friends one should maintain, I show that a charitable reading of Aristotelian philosophy continues to offer relevant insights that are applicable to modern thought and discourse.