The Contemporary Value of Aristotle’s Thought on Friendship

The thought on friendship is an important component of Aristotle’s system of ethics and political philosophy. In the ancient Greco-Roman period, although philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle all gave detailed expositions of the issue of friendship and formed their own views on it, Aristotle’s study of friendship is the most systematic and thorough. In today’s pluralistic society, where individualism is rampant, social relations are virtualized, and utilitarian tendencies are obvious, as an important intellectual resource for analyzing friendship rooted in virtue and the common good, the spiritual core of Aristotle’s thought on friendship continues to radiate new vitality in modern society, and the practical significance of its value ideals and spiritual destination becomes increasingly evident.

友爱思想是亚里士多德伦理学和政治哲学理论体系的重要组成部分。在古希腊罗马时期，虽然苏格拉底、柏拉图、亚里士多德等哲学家都对友爱问题进行过详细的阐释，并形成各自的友爱观，但亚里士多德对友爱的研究最为系统和详尽。在当今个人主义泛滥、社交关系虚拟化、功利化倾向明显的多元化社会中，作为剖析以德性和共同善为根基的友爱的重要思想资源，亚里士多德友爱思想的精神内核仍然在现代社会中不断焕发新的活力，其价值理想和精神归宿的现实意义也越发彰显。

Aristotle’s thought on friendship runs through the whole of his ethical and political philosophy, providing an important theoretical perspective for scientifically understanding the laws of human virtuous friendship. In his classic ethical work *Nicomachean Ethics*, Aristotle engages in critical and forward-looking philosophical speculation on the topic of “friendship.” The traditional view holds that friendship is formed on the basis of interests or emotional needs—for example, family members form friendship through natural emotional bonds of blood, and friends develop friendship out of mutual benefit. Aristotle takes a critical stance toward this view. He divides friendship into three types based on different bonds: friendship of pleasure, friendship of utility, and friendship of virtue. The first two types he considers inferior and analogous forms of friendship, while the third he regards as a noble and lofty friendship, and also the highest form. He reflects on the narrow perspective of friendship that transcends individual interests and emotional needs, and forwardly puts forward the unique insight that friendship is a noble quality based on virtue. At the same time, rooted in the ancient Greek society in which he lived, Aristotle strives to demonstrate that friendship containing virtuous qualities is indispensable for both polis life and a happy life. On the one hand, he argues that friendship is the “glue” of polis life. A good polis requires good citizens. In polis life, if citizens are friendly to one another, they will willingly cooperate for the common interests of the polis, reduce differences in personal interests, actively participate in polis affairs, form strong cohesion, and jointly maintain the security and prosperity of the polis. A good polis is also a necessary condition for citizens to realize the value of life and happiness. Therefore, people pursue virtuous friendship in polis life, thereby better strengthening internal unity, reducing disputes, and jointly resisting external enemies. A good polis also devotes itself to cultivating good citizens with the quality of the highest form of friendship. On the other hand, on the basis of revealing the origins, characteristics, and values of the three different types of friendship, he explains the importance of virtuous friendship for individuals to obtain personal happiness in polis life. He believes that friendship is the greatest external good for happiness. For a person to pursue happiness, they must associate in friendship with virtuous friends. Friendship is beneficial to a person’s happiness, not only because being with happy people is pleasant and joyful, but also because it can make a person virtuous. He further clarifies that obtaining virtuous friendship is not achieved overnight, but is built on the basis of universal friendship of pleasure and friendship of utility.

亚里士多德友爱思想贯穿于其伦理学和政治哲学的思想整体，提供了科学认识人类德性友爱规律的重要理论视角。亚里士多德在其经典的伦理学著作《尼各马科伦理学》中针对“友爱”这一议题展开了批判性和前瞻性的哲学思辨。传统观点认为，友爱是基于利益或情感需求而形成，诸如家人因血缘的天然情感联系形成友爱，朋友出于利益共赢而发展成友爱。亚里士多德对此观点持批判态度，他将友爱基于不同的联结纽带，分为了快乐的友爱、有用的友爱和善的友爱三类，其中第一、第二种友爱他认为是低等的、类比意义上的友爱，而第三种友爱他视为一种高贵和高尚的友爱，也是最高形式的友爱。他对友爱超越个体利益和情感需要的狭隘利益视角进行了反思，前瞻性地提出友爱是一种以德性为基础的高尚品质的独到见解。与此同时，亚里士多德扎根其所生活的古希腊社会，着力论证包含德性品质的友爱是城邦生活和幸福生活必不可少的东西。一方面，他论证了友爱是城邦生活的“黏合剂”。好的城邦需要好的公民，在城邦生活中，公民之间彼此友爱，他们便会乐意为城邦的共同利益而合作，减少个人利益的分歧，积极参与城邦事务，形成强大的凝聚力，共同维护城邦的安全与繁荣，好的城邦也是公民实现人生价值和幸福的必要条件。因此，人们在城邦生活中追求德性的友爱，从而更好地加强内部团结，减少纷争，共同抵制外敌，好的城邦也致力于培育具有最高形式友爱品质的好公民。另一方面，他在揭示三种不同友爱的来源、特点与价值的基础上，阐释了德性的友爱对人们在城邦生活中获得个人幸福的重要性。他认为友爱是幸福最大的外在的善。人要追求幸福必然要与有美德的朋友友爱相处，友爱对人的幸福是有益的，不仅是与幸福的人在一起是快乐的、愉悦的，还能让人变得有德性。他还进一步阐明获得德性的友爱也不是一蹴而就的，而是建立在具有普遍性的快乐的友爱与有用的友爱基础之上。

Aristotle’s thought on friendship, precisely by explaining the stability and durability of virtuous friendship, scientifically reveals the laws of human virtuous friendship. In modern society, countries around the world are focusing on improving people’s livelihood and well-being, promoting the continuous progress of human civilization through the whole people’s sense of gain, happiness, and security. The human aspiration for a better life cannot be separated from virtuous friendship. An isolated individual cannot realize the demand for a happy life by relying solely on their own strength. Modern countries actively work to improve the quality of life and happiness of the people through education popularization, medical security, employment services, etc. This precisely demonstrates the continuous evolution and improvement of Aristotle’s thought on friendship in its practical transformation.

亚里士多德友爱思想正是通过阐释德性友爱的稳定性和持久性，科学揭示了人类德性友爱的规律。现代社会，世界各国都在注重改善民生福祉，以全人类的获得感、幸福感和安全感来促进人类文明不断进步。人类对美好生活的向往离不开德性的友爱，独立个体无法仅靠自我力量实现幸福生活的诉求，现代各国积极致力于通过教育普及、医疗保障、就业服务等来提升民众的生活质量和幸福感，这正是彰显了对亚里士多德友爱思想在现实转化中的不断演进和完善。

Aristotle’s thought on friendship further reveals the dialectical relationship between friendship, happiness, and justice, providing theoretical support for global moral construction. Aristotle’s systematic exposition of the thought on friendship is based on the dialectical relationship among happiness, justice, and friendship. He profoundly reveals that citizens’ pursuit of justice and friendship is ultimately aimed at living a happy life. Happiness is a pursuit of virtue and the ultimate goal of all human activities. A just social order provides institutional guarantees for happiness and friendship, while friendship adds emotional and social support for the realization of happiness and justice. Therefore, Aristotle’s thought on friendship further reveals the interdependent dialectical relationship among friendship, happiness, and justice.

亚里士多德友爱思想进一步揭示了友爱与幸福、公正的辩证关系，为全球道德建设提供理论支撑。亚里士多德对友爱思想的系统性阐释是立足于对幸福、公正和友爱三者的辩证关系上的，他深刻揭示了公民追求公正和友爱最终都是为了能过上幸福的生活。幸福是一种美德追求，是人类一切活动的旨归。而公正的社会秩序为幸福和友爱提供了制度保障，友爱则为幸福和公正的实现增添了情感和社会支持的力量。因此，亚里士多德友爱思想进一步揭示了友爱与幸福、公正相互依存的辩证关系。

The issues of friendship, happiness, and justice are basic questions that cannot be avoided in today’s global moral construction. The purpose of global moral construction is to enable all humanity to live a happy life by building a world that promotes peace, development, and human well-being. To achieve the ultimate goal of human happiness, countries in international exchanges must follow the principle of justice in order to reduce conflicts and contradictions and promote peace and development. Friendship helps to enhance mutual understanding and tolerance among countries and nations with different histories, cultures, values, and lifestyles, eliminating misunderstandings and prejudices. Justice and friendship are important means and key pathways to achieving the goal of human happiness. With the increasing prominence of global environmental issues, sustainable development has become an important goal of world modernization. The harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature is an issue that must be correctly understood and addressed in the modernization of all countries. In this sense, the concept of the synergistic promotion of friendship, happiness, and justice advocated by Aristotle’s thought on friendship lays a solid theoretical foundation for the common vision of world modernization characterized by the harmonious coexistence of humanity and nature. In global moral construction, the synergistic effect of friendship, happiness, and justice can promote the comprehensive development of human society and satisfy the human aspiration for a better life. This echoes the concept of the synergistic promotion of friendship, happiness, and justice advocated by Aristotle’s thought on friendship.

友爱与幸福、公正的问题是当今全球道德建设无法回避的基本问题。全球道德建设宗旨是通过构建一个促进和平、发展与人类福祉的世界，让全人类都能过上幸福的生活。为了实现人类幸福这一终极目标，世界各国在国际交往中必须要遵循公正的原则，才能够减少冲突和矛盾、促进和平与发展。友爱则有助于增进拥有不同历史文化、价值观和生活方式的国家和民族之间的相互理解和包容，消除误解和偏见。公正和友爱是实现人类幸福目标的重要手段和关键途径。伴随全球环境问题的日益突出，可持续发展成为世界现代化建设的重要目标。人与自然和谐共生是世界各国现代化建设必须正确认识和处理的问题，在此意义上，亚里士多德友爱思想所主张的友爱与幸福、公正协同互促理念，为人与自然和谐共生的世界现代化建设的共同愿景奠定了坚实的理论基础。在全球道德建设中，友爱与幸福、公正三者的协同作用能够推动人类社会的全面发展，满足人类对美好生活的向往，这与亚里士多德友爱思想所主张的友爱与幸福、公正协同互促理念相呼应。

Aristotle’s thought on friendship emphasizes the logic of friendship in community governance, providing scientific intellectual inspiration for people to think about how to promote the community’s orientation toward the good. By demonstrating that common life is the carrier of friendship, that the essence of community is also friendship, and that it can make friendship reliable and solid, Aristotle reveals that friendship is the foundation of community construction. In the *Nicomachean Ethics*, Aristotle clarifies that the stability of the community (the polis society) depends on friendship among citizens. In the governance of polis society, friendship among citizens prompts them to actively participate in the public affairs of the polis. When facing external difficulties and challenges, members of a friendly community will unite, support each other, and overcome difficulties together, thereby contributing their strength to the development and security of the polis.

亚里士多德友爱思想强调了共同体治理的友爱逻辑，为人们思考如何促进共同体向善提供了科学的思想启示。亚里士多德通过论证共同生活是友爱的承载体、共同体的本质也是友爱、它能让友爱变得可靠与牢固，揭示了友爱是共同体构建的基础。在《尼各马科伦理学》中，亚里士多德阐明了共同体（城邦社会）的稳定有赖公民间的友爱。在城邦社会治理中，公民之间的友爱会促使他们积极参与城邦公共事务，在面对外部困难和挑战时，友爱的共同体成员会团结一致，相互扶持、共渡难关，从而为城邦的发展和安全贡献自己的力量。

Aristotle’s thought on friendship emphasizes the spatial logic that friendship must be realized in common life, inspiring humanity to think that in promoting the community’s orientation toward the good, one cannot rely solely on institutional design from a macro perspective while neglecting the governance model of internal ethics. In the era of diversified development of world problems, Aristotle’s thought on friendship is conducive to solving difficulties in community governance. For example, in addressing governance issues in emerging fields such as the digital economy and artificial intelligence, all countries should establish governance values of friendship and mutual assistance, in order to break down barriers and strengthen cooperation, and promote the virtuous development of modern technology with the community governance concept of shared human progress and well-being sharing. This helps to construct a just and orderly digital world, enabling humanity to feel a greater sense of security and belonging in an era of coexistence between humans and technology.

亚里士多德友爱思想强调友爱要在共同生活中实现的空间逻辑，启迪着人类思考在促进共同体向善过程中不能单靠宏观视角上的制度设计而忽略内在伦理的治理模式。在世界问题多元化发展的时代背景下，亚里士多德友爱思想有利于解决共同体治理中的难题，如在应对数字经济、人工智能等新兴领域治理问题上，各国都应树立友爱、互助的治理价值观，才能打破壁垒、加强合作，以人类共同进步和福祉共享的共同体治理理念来推动现代技术的向善发展，从而有助于建构一个公正有序的数字世界，让人类在人与技术共存的时代感受到更多的安全感和归属感。

In sum, Aristotle’s thought on friendship transcends personal emotion and narrow interest to engage in a distinctive philosophical reflection, encompassing the dimensions of ethics, political philosophy, and metaphysics. It transmits the wisdom of friendship in humanity’s creation of a happy life, its pursuit of enduring and stable non-utilitarian interpersonal relations, and its shared assumption of global civic responsibility. The world today is in an era of mutual agitation and exchange among diverse cultures. Aristotle’s persistent pursuit of virtuous friendship still provides valuable spiritual resources and governance inspiration for contemporary society. Drawing on this wisdom of friendship that spans millennia is a spiritual coordinate that inspires people to improve instrumentalized interpersonal relations, build a harmonious and happy society, and promote the all-round development of the human person.

总之，亚里士多德友爱思想超越个人情感和狭隘利益进行了独到的哲学思考，涵盖了伦理学、政治哲学和形而上学维度，在人类创造幸福生活、追求持久稳定的非功利化人际交往和共担全球公民责任中传递了友爱的智慧。当今世界正处于多元文化相互激荡交流的时代，亚里士多德对德性友爱的执着追求，依然为当代社会提供着宝贵的精神资源和治理灵感。借鉴其跨越千年的友爱智慧，是激励人们改善工具化人际关系、构建和谐幸福社会以及促进人的全面发展的精神坐标。

(The author is a lecturer at the School of Marxism, Guangdong Ocean University)

（作者系广东海洋大学马克思主义学院讲师）

Online editor: Tongxin

网络编辑：同心