Essay Aristotelian’s Normative Concept of Friendship

In Books VIII and IX of Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, the normative concept of friendship is precisely defined and separated into various categories of which Socrates’ and Alcibiades’ relationship can be ascribed to. To achieve this endeavor, one will need to understand Aristotle’s notion of perfect friendship based on reciprocal goodwill and virtue, and imperfect friendship based on utility and pleasure. By applying these evaluative aspects according to Socrates’ and Alcibiades’ characteristics and disposition in pursuing a friendship, the categories of their friendships are well elucidated. The friendship that Alcibiades seeks to obtain is that of erotic pleasure, while Socrates shows qualities that reflect a perfect kind, allowing†¦show more content†¦Throughout the speech, Alcibiades’ meticulously chosen language suggests his intention to create a sense of unachievable superiority Socrates possesses. â€Å"[Socratesâ₠¬â„¢ speech] upset me so deeply that my very own soul started protesting that my life – my life! – was no better than the most miserable slaves† (Plato, 66). Such stratagem generates an air of sympathy from the audience towards Alcibiades as a pursuer unable to escape Socrates’ beauty. He exclaims, â€Å"I was deeply humiliated, but also I couldn’t help admiring his natural character, his moderation, his fortitude†¦ I couldn’t bear to lose his friendship.† Then, he proceeds to mention each failed attempt, from the gymnasium to the bed, to seduce Socrates. Therefore, with such knowledge, we can extrapolate that the friendship Alcibiades seeks, using Aristotelian’s definition of friendship, is an imperfect one. Imperfect friendship belongs to the symmetrical type and can branch into two categories: pleasure and utility. In Alcibiades’ case, the predominant motivation of the friendship is pleasure, for he seeks love from Socrates for self-satisfaction; however, there are also minor elements of ‘good’ and utility that overlap. On the other hand, he can utilize Socrates as a trophy to increase his self-attraction and persuasion in his political career, and he also attempts to give physical erotic pleasure in exchange for philosopher’s wisdom, although in vain. While on bed together, Socrates rejected