Complete friendships and “decent” individuals In the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle states that there are three distinct types of friendship: useful, pleasant, and complete. Both utility and pleasure friendships are fueled by personal gain defined by usefulness or pleasantness. These friendships are casual and easily dissolve due to lack of foundation, among many other factors. Aristotle believes that the definitive friendship between two individuals is complete friendship. In this lasting relationship, both parties wish the other the same good that each would wish for himself. Aristotle specifies that this friendship is only possible between two people with similar and high virtuous standards. Kinky people would not participate in this, as they would. In Aristotle's framework, these friendships are relatively superficial and do not require a significant amount of time, effort, or concern. However, a complete friendship must still have some virtue present because of its intrinsic meaning. Truly vicious people care only for themselves and place little or no importance on others. Regardless of the other party, even if one is of the utmost virtue, evil people are firm in this mindset. This would quickly manifest itself in friendship. Therefore, at least some virtue must be present in both individuals to create a truly meaningful friendship that goes beyond personal gain. Without any virtue, actions of compassion or altruism could never occur, diminishing the idea of complete and mutual friendship. As Aristotle also suggests, anyone who is not completely virtuous will find no enjoyment or pleasure in engaging in complete friendship: the individual would be too self-centered. . The problems in this dynamic would quickly bubble to the surface and the friendship would have little hope of lasting. This is commonly why friendships of pleasure and utility tend to dissolve quickly; they lack a deeper moral respect that only complete friendships possess. Furthermore, this type of friendship will present a strong imbalance due to the lack of reciprocity and symmetry. If one person were more virtuous than the other, this would have a strong possibility of resulting in feelings of abandonment and unworthiness. Aristotle states that complete friends must possess the same virtue as these
tags