What exactly makes a friend? The very word brings up many images and feelings, many good and some bad. Is a friend merely someone to turn to when you have a problem or need advice? Or is a friend a person that shares the same interests and feelings? The question as to what makes a friend has been thought out by many philosophers for years on end. For my quest to the answer to this question, I will .
compare and contrast my opinions with those of Aristotle, for I feel that he had a lot of good things to .
say about the subject. .
Aristotle thought that true friendship, complete friendship "is the friendship of good people .
similar in virtue." (Other Selves pg 33) So basically, what Aristotle thought was that for two people to .
be true friends to each other, they had to both be virtuous people. Personally, I think that no person .
in the world can be truly virtuous, because I feel that to be truly virtuous is to be perfect, and that .
no one in this world is perfect. And so, I feel that Aristotle is wrong on this point. Aristotle .
himself said that "these kinds of friendships are likely to be rare, since such people are few." (Other .
Selves pg 34) If we were to go with it, though, it could be said that two people of relatively equal .
virtue could be true friends to each other. I myself admit to not being truly virtuous, as I explained .
earlier, yet I do have a few people whom I can call "true" friends, for their virtue is about on the same .
level as mine. So, I feel that what Aristotle said about true f! .
riendship is wrong, but I feel that what he thinks can be adapted so that more people can experience the .
joy of having a "true" friendship. .
Aristotle also thought that friendships of utility or convenience would not last. What he said .
was, "Those who exchange utility rather than pleasure.are friends to a lesser extent and less enduring .
friends." (Other Selves pg 35) I agree with him on this point. If, unbeknownst to one member, the other .
