Types
of
Friendships
in
Aristotles
Nicomachean
Ethics
books
8-9
Aristotle
distinguishes
three
main
types
of
friendships
each
of
which
corresponds
to
a
particular
type
of
basic
good
either
coming
from
or
residing
in
the
friend.
Among
the
different
ways
in
which
something
can
be
good
for
us
and
can
be
perceived
as
good,
desired
as
a
good,
pursued
or
protected
as
a
good
there
are
several
main
categories.
THE
NOBLE
OR
FINE
THE
USEFUL
THE
PLEASURABLE
(to
kalon)
(to
sumpheron)
(to
hedon)
intrinsically
good
and
good
for
something
good
to
the
one
who
valuable
for
its
own
sake
providing
or
leading
to
derives
or
enjoys
pleasure
a
higher
class
of
good
something
else
desired
from
it
Examples:
Having
or
Getting
a
Job
Money
or
Other
Wealth
Business
Contacts
Medicine
or
Exercise
Examples:
Eating
Tasty
Foods
Joking
Around
and
Play
Romance
and
Having
Sex
Going
Out
For
Drinks
Examples:
Virtues
of
Character
Making
Contributions
Genuine
Intimacy
Studying
Hard
Subjects
Corresponding
to
each
of
these
types
of
goods,
there
is
a
distinctive
type
of
Friendship
or
more
broadly
speaking,
relationship
(since
some
of
these
seem
less
friendly
than
others)
Friendship
On
Account
Of
Virtue
FRIEND
FRIEND
has
virtue
Virtue
Virtue
has
virtue
OR
FINE
THE
NOBLE
recognizes
virtue
(to
kalon)
recognizes
virtue
Friendship
On
Account
Of
Pleasure
FRIEND
FRIEND
takes
p
leasure
in
other
takes
pleasure
in
other
THE
PLEASANT
gives
pleasure
to
other
gives
pleasure
to
other
(to
hedon)
Friendship
On
Account
Of
Usefulness
FRIEND
FRIEND
gets
s
omething
useful
gets
something
useful
THE
U
SEFUL
(to
s
umpheron)
gives
something
useful
gives
something
useful
Copyright
2013
Gregory
B.
Sadler,
ReasonIO
ReasonIO:
philosophy
into
practice
Types
of
Friendships
in
Aristotles
Nicomachean
Ethics
books
8-9
Friendship
that
is
based
upon
Virtue
is
the
fullest
type
of
friendship,
according
to
Aristotle,
with
Friendship
based
on
Pleasure
coming
in
a
distant
second,
and
Friendship
based
on
Usefulness
last.
These
modes
of
relationship
vary
from
each
other
in
significant
ways.
Friendship
of
Virtue
really
based
on
the
persons
and
their
character,
who
the
persons
are
in
themselves
Friendship
of
Pleasure
Friendship
of
Usefulness
based
on
the
pleasure
which
based
solely
on
usefulness
of
the
people
can
and
do
the
people
to
each
other,
provide
to
each
other
benefits
provided
to
each
other
friends
wish
continual
good
friends
wish
good
to
the
other
to
the
other
person
for
the
person
for
the
sake
of
the
sake
of
the
pleasure
benefits
they
provide
friends
wish
continual
good
to
the
other
person
for
their
own
sake
based
very
much
on
could
be
based
on
generally
based
on
differences
commonality
or
similarity
similarities
or
on
differences
which
meet
needs
of
people
durable
or
permanent
,
does
less
durable,
liable
to
break
least
durable
of
all,
will
break
not
easily
break
up
up
when
pleasure
ends
or
up
when
one
person
is
no
Does
not
give
rise
to
lessens,
longer
useful
to
the
other
complaints
gives
rise
to
complaints
Often
gives
rise
to
complaints
not
possible
to
have
many
possible
to
have
many
possible
to
have
all
sorts
of
close,
intimate
friends
friends
of
this
sort.
friends
of
this
sort.
these
take
much
time
these
can
develop
quickly
these
develop
when
needed
not
possible
for
a
morally
possible
for
a
morally
bad
possible
for
a
morally
bad
bad
person
to
have
(or
even
person
to
have,
but
likely
to
person
to
have,
but
youd
likely
appreciate)
lead
to
problems
.
.
.
.
better
watch
them!
Aristotle
notes
that
as
one
moves
up
from
Friendships
of
Usefulness
to
Friendships
of
Pleasure,
and
then
to
Friendships
in
the
fuller
sense
of
Virtue
or
Character,
the
goods
provided
at
the
lower
level
are
also
present
in
the
upper
level.
It
is
not
that
one
simply
has
to
choose
between
either
Usefulness
or
Pleasure
or
Nobility.
The
Pleasant
person
is
also
Useful
to
the
friend
in
a
Friendship
of
Pleasure
useful
for
getting
pleasure
that
is.
Friendships
of
Pleasure
might
also
involve
a
trade-off
where
one
person
is
giving
Pleasure,
and
the
other
person
is
giving
something
Useful
in
return.
The
Friends
in
a
Friendship
of
Virtue
are
going
to
be
able
to
enjoy
all
of
the
goods
in
the
lower,
less
complete
forms
of
Friendship.
Why?
In
order
to
be
friends
of
this
sort,
they
need
to
be
good
people,
and
good
people
are
pleasant
for
other
good
people
to
be
with
both
absolutely
and
to
each
other
Good
people
are
also
going
to
be
useful
to
each
other,
to
provide
each
other
benefits
when
needed,
helpful,
or
even
just
to
do
something
noble
for
the
other
person
Copyright
2013
Gregory
B.
Sadler,
ReasonIO
ReasonIO:
philosophy
into
practice
