A Study On Friendship Of Aristotle

As a scholar known as an encyclopedia,Aristotle has contributed to almost every subject,and has also made many achievements in the field of ethics.Among the many ethical thoughts,Aristotle put friendship as the greatest external good of the individual,which associated with specific virtues,happy and happiness.In Aristotle's dictionary,friendship was called as “a virtue or including a virtue”,it was an ethical virtue that occurred between individuals.The friendship became into reality is a multifaceted result.First,it began with goodwill between “lover” and “the one being loved”;secondly,it needs the both sides sharing the good,affection and happiness that belongs to friendship,and the other side's virtue attracted themselves;finally,the common life practice of both sides can achieve the purpose of jointly improving the two sides and verify that the other one was suitable for being friends or not.According to virtue,Aristotle divided friendship into good friendship,happy friendship,and practical friendship.Then he proposed two different and intertwined perspectives: one is the similarity between the two sides;the other is the equal relationship between the two sides.Therefore,there are the division from two perspectives,a total of four small angles: similar,dissimilar,equal,and unequal.Citizens' desire for friendship first came from self-love,because friends were another self;in addition,the individual's pursuit of happiness need to take care of the goodness of friends,learn the goodness that can be obtained,and carry out persistent practical activities with friends,so they were inseparable from friends and eager to make friends;finally,people in the common life not only need justice,but also need friendship,and the existence of friendship,it will certainly involve justice.In the interpretation of friendship,Aristotle infused many different opinions that were popular at the time,and discussed them one by one.Through comparison and differentiation,he drew the “moral common sense of Greece with consistency” and meaningful conclusions.As the link between virtue theory and happiness theory of Aristotle's ethics,friendship believed that it is often not enough to know about morality.We must take the initiative to practice,and become a good person in some way.As an important issue in Greek life,friendship was also an important issue in the discussion of ethics in that era.In the distinction between the concept of good and bad friendship,in the pursuit of good citizens and good city states,in the dissemination of public opinions,friendship became a major issue at the time.After Aristotle,people have not stopped discussing the friendship,and inheriting anddeveloping Aristotle's view of friendship.However,due to the characteristics of Aristotle's era,his thoughts on friendship also had certain limitations.But it was undeniable that friendship was the bridge for individual to gain happiness;when people felt happiness,there was a necessary condition to have true friends.This also reflected that individual happiness was inseparable from friendship,and happiness was the pillar of friendship;as an important link to coordinate the relationship between people,friendship was not only the starting point for individuals to get happiness,but also can play a role among smaller communities and groups,being an important lubricant for connecting and maintaining the relationship between communities and between groups,making the harmony between groups become a reality;as a kind of virtue that everyone can't live without,friendship was the external good that the individual yearns for,and it was the bond between people.The construction of a good social atmosphere was inseparable from friendship,and friendship had an important moral significance for the creation of a fair and friendly social atmosphere.At the same time,it also has certain inspirational value to the “friendship” of socialist core values.