Classical Stuff You Should Know 21: Friendship!
Jan 23, 2018
A lively tour of Aristotle’s take on friendship and why it follows justice. They map three types of friendship—pleasure, utility, and excellence—and why virtuous bonds are rare. Discussion moves to how law and government shape friendships, rulers’ loneliness, and parallels with social media. The episode closes on friendship as essential to a flourishing life.
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Aristotle's Threefold Typology Of Friendship
- Aristotle divides friendship into three distinct kinds: pleasure, utility, and excellence.
- Graham Donaldson and Thomas Magby stress that pleasure friendships depend on shared activities while utility friendships depend on mutual benefit, unlike friendships grounded in character.
Diplomacy Teaches Students Realpolitik And Rhetoric
- Thomas Magby recounts playing Diplomacy in rhetoric class to teach statecraft and persuasion.
- He tells of a student voiding a contract by misspelling names and of being bribed to advise players.
Pleasure And Utility Friendships Are Fragile
- Friendships of pleasure and utility are contingent and often dissolve when the shared interest or benefit ends.
- The hosts use examples like fantasy football buddies and coffee-shop acquaintances to show how these friendships lack depth.