Taking a Look at Nicomachean Ethics - 957 Words

Nicomachean Ethics I chose to write about Aristotle and his beliefs about how the virtuous human being needs friends from Book VIII from Nicomachean Ethics. In this essay I will talk about the three different kinds of friendship that (Utility, Pleasure, and Goodness) that Aristotle claims exist. I will also discuss later in my paper why Aristotle believes that Goodness is the best type of friendship over Utility or Pleasure. In addition to that I will also talk about the similarities and differences that these three friendships share between one another. And lastly I will argue why I personally agree with Aristotle and his feelings on how friendship and virtue go hand in hand and depend on each other. Aristotle believes that†¦show more content†¦And those who wish for good things for their friends for their own sake are friends most of all.†(page. 147, book VIII, chapter 3) This quote explains how Aristotle believes that this is the best type of friendship because he believes that this friendship is so long lasting because he says that friendship lasts as long as people stay good and virtue is enduring. Aristotle believes that this is the rarest form of friendship because it takes two people who are committed to one another and not only looking for the benefits in which Utility or Pleasure are consisted of. He also explains how this friendship can only work for the â€Å"good† person, these certain people also have to be in some ways alike as well as beneficial to one another. This meaning that both sides of the relationship need to provide benefits to the other person in addition to being pleasant to each other. I do have to agree with Aristotle when he state states that Goodness/virtue is the best kind of friendship, and that it is the most â€Å"successful† type of friendship. I agree with this because with Utility and Pleasure they are not exactly what you would call a true friendship. With these two kinds, they both only work for a short period of time when at least one of the people involved is gainingShow MoreRelatedThe Ethical Issue Of Physician Assisted Suicide1580 Words   |  7 PagesIn Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle establishes that â€Å"every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim† and explains this through the dialectic of disposition, particularly between vice and virtue. 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Aristotle then describes steps required for humans to obtain the ultimate happiness. He also states that activity is an important requirement of happiness. A virtuous person takes pleasure in doing virtuous things. He then goes on to say that living a life of virtue is something pleasurable in itself. The role of virtue to Aristotle is an important oneRead More Aristotle Essay777 Words   |  4 Pagescarefully outlined courses, which were collected and arranged by later editors. Among the texts are dissertations on: logic, called Organon; natural sciences, called Physics; nature, scope and properties of being, called Metaphysics; and ethics, called Nicomachean Ethics (dedicated to his son Nicomachus). Some other works include his Rhetoric, his Poetics, his Politics, and his Economics. Methods Aristotles philosophy laid its principal stress on biology. 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