Reevaluating Aristotle’s View Of Philia

Aristotle pioneered in the systematic elaboration on ethical thought, establishing the discipline of ethics and bridging ethics and politics with his view of philia. As Karl Marx noted, the pursuit of harmony is human beings’ instinct. Hu Jintao has reiterated the significance of constructing harmonious society in the report he delivered on the18th National Congress of CPC. Friendship is one of the basic requirements of harmonious society. Therefore, reevaluation of Aristotle’s view of philia will undoubtedly provide another perspective for modern ethics.The thesis is composed of three parts. In the first part, Aristotle’s view on philia is discussed in a broader background. The shifts of social institution are traced and the connotation of love proposed by Aristotle is assessed, setting the tone for further examination of his notion of philia.The next part elaborates on the origin, nature, characteristics and classification of Aristotle’s notion of philia. This part also touches the dispute over Aristotle’s notion of self-love, coming to the conclusion that Aristotle’s philia combines the rational self and others’ goodness, asserting its status in the ethical system. In the last part, the thesis examines the suitability and necessity of Aristotle’s philia in the perspective of constructing harmonious society.