Aristotle on Friendship. Read Books VIII (Chapters 1-7) and IX (Chapters 1-5 and 10-12) of the Nicomachean Ethics on friendship. Links to Books VIII and IX are posted on Canvas. Write a 5-6 page paper on Aristotle on friendship as it applies to a contemporary issue involving friendship. Provide an introduction with a CLEAR THESIS statement. Write 2-3 pages on Aristotle on friendship. Then apply what Aristotle says to some issue with respect to friendship. Lastly, state what you think Aristotle would say were an individual’s responsibilities as a citizen of a modern, diverse community with respect to friendship.Some contemporary issues (choose ONLY ONE for this paper):Technology/Facebook friends. The question here concerns forming or starting a friendship through technology, not maintaining an already existing friendship through technology. A few key concepts here are: trust, the desire to spend time with that person, being familiar with that person, being well-disposed. The question here could concern the genus, is it a friendship at all, or the species, what kind of friendship can form over the internet (use and pleasure might not be that much of an issue, a friendship of goodness might not be possible only through technology).Friends with Benefits. This one is more difficult as it involves two forms of love, eros and philia. There is no doubt the two are hanging out for the sake of pleasure, the question is: is it a friendship at all. First, the two must have philia for each other, like each other AS friends. To determine this, one has to answer whether the two people DO anything that friends do. Spend time together apart from sex, become familiar, trust, share, etc. So the main question here is not what kind of friendship it would be, as it obviously is one of pleasure (species), but whether it is a friendship at all (genus).Friendship and marriage. Aristotle says that husband and wife are natural friends, as they have decided to spend their life together. If you choose this topic, you should include what Aristotle says about marriage and friendship. The main question here concerns the species, what kind of friendship do these two married people have? If it is just use or pleasure, the relationship will not last. A lasting and good marriage should contain a friendship of goodness.Parents and children. This is similar to 3 above. If you choose this topic, you should include what Aristotle says about parents and children and friendship. The main question here concerns the species, as if parents want to be buddies with their children (pleasure), all kinds of problems ensue.Other. If you have an idea not listed here, you should clear it with me first to make sure it counts as a contemporary issue and that something about Aristotle is relevant.CitationsYou need to cite your sources for Aristotle and any external sources. To cite Aristotle, use Book and Chapter numbers (VIII.3 or IX.12, for instance) in the body of the text. So, for instance: Aristotle thinks that spending time together is one of the truest marks of friendship (VIII.6). Or with a quote: “for no one would choose to live without friends, though he were to have all the other goods” (VIII.1). All other citations should follow standard methods.NOTE: Papers without sufficient and accurate citations to Aristotle’s text will not be graded.Paper Structure and Grading Rubric:CriteriaDescriptionPointsIntroductionAn introduction should include general information about the topic leading to a clear thesis. Try to imagine a reader picking up your paper who has never heard of Aristotle’s views on friendship. Your job here is to inform, in broad strokes, about the issues in this paper: Aristotle’s unique view of friendship (that there are three kinds) and how it applies to your issue. So you need to include Aristotle’s three kinds (and say something about them) and your issue (choose only ONE issue for this paper) in the introduction.10 PointsThesisA clear thesis lays out your position for your reader and what you will argue for, citing reasons why a view is wrong or why an alternative is right. For instance: “I will argue that according to Aristotle it is impossible to have the highest kind of friendship if two people are only Facebook friends. The main reason is that in order to be friends of the good, two people must know each other’s character, and this is not possible over the internet.” Or: “I will argue that most friends with benefits are not friends at all, as the two really do not like each other as friends.” Or: “I will argue that parents should not pursue a friendship of pleasure with their children, as parents’ primary role concerns raising children to be good people.” You are free to use these ideas, but DO NOT COPY my words or wording. Put the thesis at the end of your introduction.5 PointsFriendship in GeneralFor help with the content of this part of your paper, please see the Summary/Outline of Aristotle on Friendship page on Canvas. Probably two paragraphs here. One just on philia and building the relationship; another on the definition, being well-disposed and wishing well that is mutual and recognized. Do not write this like a “list,” merely listing the many different qualities or conditions, take some time to explain them in more depth. You must CITE your sources.15 PointsWhy There are 3 KindsIt is essential to tell your reader why Aristotle believes that there are three different kinds of friendship, as this is what makes his view unique. This concerns the “likeable object”: one can like anything because it is useful, pleasant or good. The same is true of people. So the primary reason that two people like each other is what determines what kind of friendship they have. You must CITE your sources.5 PointsThe Three Kinds of FriendshipFor help with the content of this part of your paper, please see the Summary/Outline of Aristotle on Friendship page on Canvas. One paragraph on each kind, perhaps two on friendship of goodness. Remember that for any of the three kinds of friendship to count as a friendship at all they must meet the definition and the conditions of friendship in general. This is what all friendships have in common (SAME). What makes them DIFFERENT is the likeable object (use, pleasure or goodness) and what follows from that. You must CITE your sources.15 PointsAristotle Applied to Your IssueHere you are to take the principles of Aristotle’s account and apply it to your issue. The primary concepts for any issue are: why do the two people like (philia) each other (species), familiar, spending time with, trust, how are they disposed toward each other, etc. For instance: Aristotle says some unique things about what constitutes friendship. For one, he says that in order to be friends of the good, two people must know each other’s character. If two people are only Facebook friends, then they can’t really know each other’s character, which requires time and familiarity. Furthermore, Aristotle argues that the desire to spend time in each other’s presence is the truest mark of friendship. If two people have no desire to see each other in person, it’s not really a friendship. So Facebook friends cannot have the highest kind of friendship according to Aristotle. NOTE: if you stated, cited and explained the concepts of Aristotle above, you do not need to cite them here again, just apply them. Do CITE any information here that has not been previously introduced, especially any information concerning your issue.15 PointsWhat Would Aristotle Say About Responsibility in a Modern, Diverse World. First, speak of personal responsibility.Here you are to state what impact your take on your issue has on personal responsibility. What should an individual do or how should he or she behave given what you stated above on your issue. If your issue is friends with benefits, you may want to discuss pleasure-seeking and how it does not lead to meaningful, committed relationships. If your issue is technology, what does this have to do with establishing trust among people, and why is trust so important for living a good life. Personal responsibility calls for individual to take a stand on certain issues; explore those issues and provide a personal statement on what you as an individual will do about this issue. This is not just a sentence or two, provide a fully developed paragraph.10 PointsSecond, speak of social responsibility.Here you are to state what you think are an individual’s responsibilities as a citizen of a modern, diverse world. What bearing does friendship have on contemporary issues like race, class, gender, etc.? This part should be researched and CITED. One could say that being aware of the kind of friendship one has with another could lead to more awareness of these issues. For instance, if your paper is about friends with benefits, what impact does this have on family and divorce, raising children, psychological issues, etc. Friends with benefits could have a great impact on feminist issues. Internet friends could have issues concerning psychology and social anxiety. Has technology helped or hurt race relations? etc. This is not just a sentence or two, provide a fully developed paragraph.10 PointsCitationsFor Aristotle, please cite by Book and Chapter number: (VIII.3) for instance. Please see above. NOTE: Papers that have no citations will be an automatic 0 for the assignment.Here is the summary/ outline that needs to be used and cited in Friendship in general paragraph and The three kinds of friendship paragraphThe first thing to note is the purpose of stating the genus. The genus for Aristotle is what is true of each species. In other words, the genus lays out the conditions for what counts as a friendship. Since Aristotle will specify three different kinds of friendship, the genus lays out what is the SAME in all three kinds. So to count as a friendship, the relationship must meet most of the conditions listed here: two people must have philia for one another, they must be well disposed, wish well, become familiar with the other, trust, etc. If a relationship does not meet most of these conditions, it is not technically a friendship (could be just an acquaintance, a co-worker, etc.). Students often make the mistake of thinking that the genus applies only to one of the three kinds (usually the friendship of goodness). THIS IS FALSE. The genus applies to all three (use, pleasure and goodness). Aristotle, then, is asking two basic questions. First, “is this relationship between these two people a friendship at all?” One must apply the genus to answer this. Second, if the answer to the first question is “yes,” then the second question is, “what kind of friendship is it?” This concerns the species (see below). The following concepts in bold make up the entire genus. If you use a concept in bold in your paper, then you should CITE it.The Feelings involved in Friendship. The liking or friendly feeling in Greek is called philia. It is analogous in a romantic relationship to physical attraction, which is called eros (erotic). So the first part of any friendship that might form is that two people like each other, that is, have philia for one another. But just like in a romantic relationship, being attracted to another or each other does not mean that those two people are in a relationship. The same is true with friendship. So Aristotle explains first why liking is not equivalent to friendship (can like someone without being aware, can like and have it not be reciprocated, can like inanimate things or animals, etc). Friendship for Aristotle resembles a disposition, how we act toward another, not just a feeling (though feelings, or liking, is obviously essential to friendship). Again, just like in a romantic relationship, feelings come and go, are greater or less, but the relationship remains. This is what Aristotle means by a disposition, or how you are toward each other. How am I to my friend that I am not toward others? I have feelings, I trust, spend time with, I am familiar with this person, etc. So a relationship must be formed that is greater than just feelings. For example, I have friendly feelings toward a lot of my students, but I refuse to form any friendship with them while they are my student for professional reasons. So it is possible to have philia and not have a friendship.Building a Relationship/Having a Friendship. All friendships take time to form, though the liking may be immediate. Usually what starts a friendship is spending time with each other getting to know each other or becoming familiar with each other. Usually, this is because of some common interest or just because two people like each other’s company. Over time, trust may develop, people start to share things about themselves, they grow fond of each other or become dear to each other, spend their days together, etc. We can say after a time, “these two people are friends.” Aristotle’s discusses all of these but in different language at times, what I call conditions or characteristics of all friendships: must desire to spend time together, have a shared activity or common interest, share joys and sorrows, take time to develop, becoming familiar with another person, trust, dear to each other, etc.The definition of friendship: friendship is liking (philia), “being well-disposed and wishing well that is both mutual and recognized” (VIII.2). We have covered the philia above. For Aristotle, he lays out two more important concepts to friendship, being well-disposed and wishing well. Together with philia, these three concepts concern how you feel about each other, how you are toward each other, and what you want for each other. Wishing well simply means that you want things to go well for your friend, to do well on an exam, get a job he she desires, have a good romantic relationship, etc. Being well-disposed is key for Aristotle, as he says friendships are more about the disposition than the feelings. A disposition or being disposed toward something is the prevalent tendencies you have toward that person or object. How are you disposed toward alcohol? Drink it too much, never drink it, drink it in moderation? A disposition may be your attitude toward it, your actions, feelings, characteristic tendencies, etc. To be well-disposed means you are favorable, friendly, sympathetic, willing to do for, gracious, etc. We can be well-disposed towards strangers, but the idea here is that someone we consider a friend is someone we care more for, will do more for, share more with, etc. Lastly, the feelings, wishing well and being well-disposed must be both mutual (both have them) and recognized (the two are aware of the feelings, wishes, disposition).So for Aristotle, all friends like each other/have philia, take time to become friends, know each other, trust each other, wish each other well, and are well-disposed toward each other, and these are mutual and recognized (these are true of use, pleasure or goodness); in friendships of pleasure or goodness, two people will spend time together either just enjoying each other’s company or having a shared activity, become cherished, will share more intimately, etc. [Since a friendship of use is a friendship formed around an ongoing business exchange, they will not spend time just enjoying each other’s company (this signifies a friendship of pleasure), they might not be cherished, they might not share intimate details, they may have no common interest outside the exchange, etc.].Here are the books of Aristotle that need to be used and citedhttp://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.8.viii.html (Book 8 of Aristotle)http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/nicomachaen.9.ix.html (Book 9 of Aristotle)Please use both books that I have linked , the summary I have provided, and any other sources with citations. These are my sources needed in my paper besides any other sources used. Also Please limit quotes to 15% or less and no plagiarism detected.
