Friendship, according to philosophy - Kalkine Media

What does philosophy teach us about friendship? Find out in this article through the concepts of virtue, reciprocity, equality, love, joy, and transformation.

We all have friends. But have you ever stopped to think about what friendship really is? We are discussing a recurring theme in philosophy from antiquity to the present. This article will explore some of the main philosophical concepts about friendship. If you're interested in more about this topic, read the collection of essays writer articles.

In this way, we will approach a better understanding of this type of relationship so fundamental for the human being. And the fact is that, from a very young age, we cultivate friendly ties with other people. As time goes by, their meaning changes, and we tend to have different concepts about friendship.

Philosophy also has something to contribute to this subject. Let's get started!

Friendship, according to classical philosophy

Aristotle was one of the philosophers of antiquity who mostly reflected on friendship; for him, this type of relationship had a very important influence on the morality of each citizen. That is to say, and through friendship, individual virtue could be achieved. Therefore, one needs other people to achieve ethical or character improvement.

Hence comes the importance of friendship for philosophy, and for Aristotle in particular, since the most relevant thing for this philosopher is to cultivate the virtue of society as a whole. This is achieved through friendship because the person can know himself better, being a stimulus to perfect his ethical virtues.

Reciprocal love in friendship

Reciprocity is one of the backbones of friendship. It is understood as a two-way relationship of giving and receiving. This means that the friend is involved in the bond of friendship and actively participates in it; otherwise, it is very complicated for a friendship relationship to be maintained.

Therefore, there would be no friendship if one of the people involved is not committed to the relationship. Also, it is a reciprocal love between equals and virtuous people. That is, friendship involves equality of character and actions.

Equality in friendship

Equality is another important characteristic of friendship. The friend is considered as another or also as another person who is equal to oneself. On the other hand, I can see my personality and character reflected.

This similarity implies a series of common characteristics that we share with our friends, such as codes, tastes, and ideologies. We have often measured friendship based on the things in common that we share with our friends.

In short, friendship is about reciprocity and equality. It requires someone else besides myself through whom I can see myself reflected.

The feelings of friendship

The feelings we associate with friendship can be diverse, but there are surely two that we all agree on love and joy. Both are concepts that further enrich the definition of friendship according to philosophy.

The concept of love in friendship

Love is understood as the engine that makes a friendship lasting. It allows for various forms of existence and maintains each person's individuality. That is to say, according to this perspective, we can have common traits with our friends, but the difference will always be present. In this inequality remains what is unique to each of us that distinguishes us from the rest.

What the concept of love seeks to highlight is that despite the differences we may have with our friends, friendship remains. And this is so because the feeling of love subsists. The human subject allows himself to continue in his individuality and can still be loved and respected by another person. That is true friendship.

Joy as a concept of friendship

As for the feeling of joy, philosophy considers that it unites individuals in friendship. The rewarding moments we share with our friends strengthen the friendly bond.

This joy requires that both parties in the friendship rejoice in each other. That is, it is in the happiness of the other that I myself become infected with joy, and we share it among friends. This is where the phrase "friends in good times" makes sense.

But what about friendship in suffering? We commonly consider "friendship in bad times" to be just as true as friendship in good times. But, despite this, some philosophical reflections argue that suffering and grief, if shared with others, it is difficult not to become infected by them.

Therefore, we become infected by our friends' grief because it is difficult not to empathize with their suffering. To be able to bear it requires a strong character. Moreover, in our relationships, the pursuit of joy should prevail over the pursuit of suffering. Hence, love and joy are the most significant feelings of friendship.

Friendship as transformation

Sometimes it can happen that we do not appreciate the transformative potential that can make us evolve as people. In this aspect, friendship plays a very important role since it provides the necessary stimulus that allows us to grow through the friend's figure as a challenge.

What does it mean that a friend is a challenge? It is the difference represented by the other, based on each person's individuality. In this sense, the friend is considered an enemy since he, with his ideals and tastes, comes to clash with our subjectivity.

In turn, the friend considered an enemy, being a person different from myself, allows me to distance myself from myself to think about myself. In this self-thinking, the transformation of the subject can take place, which allows him to grow as a person. In this way, this friend-enemy shows me other possibilities of being and acting.

In short, friendship invites us, in some way, according to philosophy, to reflect on one of the most fundamental human relationships we have. Perhaps in everyday life, we overlook the fact that friendly bonds involve love, joy, reciprocity, and transformation. Returning to them through the path of philosophy can cause us to reflect on our own friendships.