Aristotle on Perfect Friendship

Abstract

In this paper I argue that Aristotle’s conception of ideal or perfect friendship, friendship which is based on the love people of good character might have for each other qua good, is so moralised as to fail to capture our common understanding of the nature and importance of friendship. In particular, I argue that friendship itself indicates an important human good, but crucially a good that cannot, contrary to what Aristotle suggests, be wholly accommodated within our conception of the morally good life for human beings: Our attachment to our closest friends has a value that cannot necessarily be reconciled with our attempts to live a morally good life