Nicomachean Ethics - Friendship

In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, he states that there are three types of friendships that can be obtained- the friendship of pleasure, the friendship of utility and the friendship of good. The friendship of pleasure is a relationship based on the simple enjoyment of being around a particular person; the friendship of utility is a relationship based on convenience. In other words, this friendship has no real meaning behind it, other than this person is around this person frequently, so they might as well be friends. Lastly, the third category of friendship is that based on good. Friendship of good is the pure delight of one person and everything about that person. Good is the best form of friendship because it is the most virtuous. This relationship is often compared to that of the bond a person forms with themselves, assuming it is loving, because a person understands their thoughts and attitudes more than anyone, therefore they appreciate what they have to offer more than anyone else.

Friendship is most important in eternal good in that it teaches us to love everything everyone has to offer. Friendship should not be centered on getting something from someone, but around teaching and learning about loving acts and happiness. I feel that a life without pure friendship would be a life worth missing. No one can go their entire life completely self-sufficient and utterly alone- happily. Friendships have their ups and downs, but it is the understanding and the solutions that make these relationships worth having. I feel that everyone is capable of developing a "friendship of good", no matter how difficult they might find it. A friendship of convenience and a friendship of pleasure is, in my opinion, a fresh relationship. The members of this joining still have much to learn about each other, a lot to teach one another and a lot to gain from the other. Although the two other forms are not considered "perfect", they are still forms of friendship and can be perfected into the better.

...