Aristotle and Friendship

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses Aristotle's beliefs about the requirement for equal intelligence and reciprocity for true friendship. The writer concedes that some of Aristotle's points are correct. The writer contends, however, that to say that the intelligence of a person is directly related to his/her value and that people of different intelligence cannot be friends, is elitist and untrue.

From the Paper:

"Jena Vanier states that "Aristotle bases the value of human beings on their rational and intellectual capacity alone", and therefore cannot conceive of the possibility of true friendship among unequals. I agree with this statement. In fact, the truth of this statement can be shown by reviewing Aristotle's ideas about friendship. I also think that Aristotle is for the most part correct - although not completely. As I will show, the idea that true friendship cannot be possible between people of different intelligence can be attacked quite strongly."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Aristotle. Nicomachean Ethics. Edited by Roger Crisp. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000.

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