Blog Prompt 15: Do you agree with Aristotle’s proposition that there are three types of friendship: friendship of pleasure, friendship of utility, and friendships in virtue? Can you identify people in your life that fall into any of the three categories?

Proposition

I agree with Aristotle’s three types of friendship, however there are more types of friendships than three and Aristotle’s friendships seem to be the most important part in people’s lives. I have known many people who fall in these categories such as classmates I know are friendship of utility because in class we help each other out and give tips on lecture notes that needs to be rephrase. My close friends are considered friendship of virtue and is the best one out of utility and pleasure. People who I come across from my hobbies or activities are friendship of pleasure and is good because you can build a community of it.

Friendship of Pleasure

Friendship of pleasure is when people find each other through their common activities or interests that would spend more time together with shared interests. Not only with that, however many people who hang out with others, also have a reason and can like one of their personalities such as their intelligence, humor, kindness, and calm. Aristotle thinks friendship of pleasure is, ” Friendship for the sake of pleasure bears a resemblance to this kind; for good people too are pleasant to each other.” Pleasure is good to have something in common, but mainly that’s the only activity or interest they have and talk about it nothing else. This can happen anywhere in your favorite spots such as the cafe, library shopping in stores and etc. When you meet a person in those places, the conversation would commonly be about the shared interests of the place and their reasonings for coming there frequently.

Friendship of Utility

Friendship of utility is someone who helps others that are struggling which they would like their thoughtful of kindness and appreciation. Those who do favors for others can help you back as well if your having trouble with something and is a good way to make connections to find good opportunities in the future, but that’s the case because people help others from their kindness no strings attached. Aristotle’s view on utility is,  “Friendship for utility’s sake seems to be that which most easily exists between contraries, e.g. between poor and rich, between ignorant and learned; for what a man actually lacks he aims at, and one gives something else in return.” The bad side of utility is a possibility of people who only cares about you on what you do for them than themselves as a person. For example, like at a workplace, there’s an employee who you cover for if they aren’t able to make it to work, however the employee won’t cover for you when you’re aren’t able to work.

Friendship of Virtue

Friendship of virtue is a good bond of friendship that supports each other through their memorable moments such as marriage, promotion, or a good opportunity given to them and as a friend with virtue who are your main personal support. Aristotle found that people with these qualities are most suitable which is, “…based on a certain resemblance; and to a friendship of good men all the qualities we have named belong in virtue of the nature of the friends themselves;… these are the most lovable qualities.” Aristotle believes that the friendship of virtue comes naturally and is found mostly in their best form in us. This can happen anywhere and at any time, usually people make friends at school and at work which can be a friendship of virtue.

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