Friendship as an important virtue

Aristotle in his Nicomachean ethics considers friendship as the most necessary in our life. Friendship could even hold cities together, because the desire for harmony would trump all other motives. Further, he wisely suggests that friends don't need justice since it's an inherent part of their relationship, but the just need friends, and - justice that is most just is friendship. Aristotle defines friendship as reciprocated goodwill, and states that the most complete friendship occurs between two good people similar in virtue, because they are good people in themselves and also good for their friend. Somewhat controversially, although he could be forgiven for expressing the views of his times, Aristotle suggests that one cannot have true friendship with a slave because the relationship would be that between a master and a - tool with a soul. But even here the master can have as much friendship with a slave as much as he is human.  Justice, as reciprocated goodwill,  is therefore the foundation of Aristotle's definition of friendship.

Aristotle's ideas of friendship could not be more relevant today. Newspaper headlines are replete with unimaginable instances of mass cruelty where even the status of others as- human beings- is not respected. Human traffickers intentionally drowning scores of Hamas refugees, the mass flight of Kurds from Syria to Turkey fearing the IS, the atrocities of the Boko Haram in Nigeria are but a few examples of the sad state of our race. It is easy and even perhaps partially correct to blame the root of this evil on poverty.

But even the wealthy seem to be have lost touch with the joys of friendship, at the risk of adeverse social consequences, as evidenced by David Brook's op-ed about the dwindling friendships among adults. The world seems to be incessantly focused on the one aspect of love - romantic love, which while splendid is also limiting. One cannot survive on love and air, as many couples quickly realize,- but friendships can.

The benefits of nurturing our lives with meaningful friendships are clear. But we need to aim for the highest form of friendship, as suggested by Aristotle. When a group of terrorists wreak havoc on the innocent, they fail both tests of Aristotle. They are neither good people, nor are they good for their friends!      

Picture credit http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/19/opinion/david-brooks-there-are-social-and-political-benefits-to-having-friends.html?action=click&contentCollection=Middle%20East&module=MostEmailed&version=Full&region=Marginalia&src=me&pgtype=article