Aristotle: Friendship and Virtue

 

Friendship is an essential aspect of life which individuals cannot live without. A result is that it is considered to be a feeling that is not only related to virtues, but is a virtue in itself. This is important because it allows individuals to ensure that they achieve a level of prosperity in their societies without any fear of losing what they have acquired. Friendship makes it possible for these individuals to live comfortably because they have friends around them who will ensure that they protect them against any harm. Therefore, friendship ensures that the creation of a society where individuals depend on each other’s good will for their security as well as the advancement and protection of their prosperity. It is a virtue because it helps young people when it comes to preventing them from making mistakes that they might end up regretting. In addition, as individuals become older and have physical limitations, it is friendship which allows them to have the ability to complete tasks that would otherwise have been too heavy for them. A consequence of friendship, therefore, involves the development of a situation where individuals provide each other with support so that they can think and act in concert in order to achieve their mutual goals.