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Nicomachean Ethics, Book Viii

In this chapter, Aristotle talks about friendship, and why we need it. According to Aristotle, there are three types of friendship: friendship based on utility, friendship based on pleasure, and friendship based on goodness. Friendship based on utility means that it’s just a friendship based on material benefit, or a use people have for each other. An example of this is being friends with a store clerk so they can tell you about all the best sales. Friendship based on pleasure means that you’re friends with someone based on how they look, and how beautiful they are, how smart they are, ect. They are pleasurable to look at, so you’re friends with them. Finally, a friendship based on goodness means that both you and your friend really look out for each other, and help each other strive for goodness.
I think Aristotle makes a good and reasonable definition of friendship and the types of friendship. In my personal life I have seen different examples of all types of friendship, and the duration of each. Aristotle states that the first two types of friendship are only accidental, and therefore, are the most short-lived. In both friendships based on utility and based on pleasure, both people in the friendship probably aren’t necessarily looking out for the good of the other person, but for the qualifications of that friendship. People in these types of friendships won’t talk to each other as much, and won’t have a deeper understanding of each other. A friendship based on goodness, according to Aristotle, is the most important kind of friendship. People in this type of friendship are more concerned with the goodness and well being of their friend than anything, so they will have a deep, loving understanding of each other.
Friendships based on goodness last longer, but this type of friendship also goes with utility and pleasure. You need all three to have a long, successful friendship. The utility aspect comes from relying on one another from time to time, and the...