Group 1:

Gordon Hung
Patrick Lam

Nicomachea
Tony Chan
Hanna Chung
Yan Leung
Coco Yeung

n Ethics
-Aristotle
Book
1
Highest Good - Eudaimonia

Ends Life of contemplation

Good
Life of Life of
Pleasure Politics
Overview of Book 1
The object of life- aims at some end or good. Varies from a person to another.
Book 8
● Philia (friendship)

● Sex regarded as a
biological phenomenon?

● Friendship is essential in
our lives
What are friends?
● Similarity? Dissimilarity?
● Objects of friendship?
● How many kinds of friendship?
● All people capable of friendship?
Objects of friendship

The good The pleasant The useful

Useful->producing sth. Good or pleasant->two ends

What is ‘good’/’pleasant’?
Friendship
● Not for inanimate object: 1) affections cannot be returned

2) cannot wish for the good

● Conditions: 1) Mutual goodwill

2) knowing the existence of friendship

Kinds of friendship

Expectation of pleasure Expectation of

Between those who
（based on pleasure） advantages(based on utility) are good(based on
➔ grounded on motives goodness)
➔ friend as a source ➔ take pleasure in
➔ Wish another
➔ (regulated by company as far as they
hopes of advantage to be good
feelings)
from it ➔ Include the
➔ easily disappear
➔ easily disappear other two types
➔ e.g. teenagers ➔ e.g. the elderly
➔ long-lasting
➔ precious

NOT love others for what they are

Friendship as a state, as an activity and as a feeling

● agreeable to each other and similar in their taste(essential)

● activity（absence lasts fora long time cause forgetfulness）
● live together e.g. the poor, the supremely
Qualified friendship VS superficial friendship
perfect friendship(goodness) e.g. good man(good,pleasant)

secondary forms(pleasure,utility) e.g. the supremely →agreeable friend

people in high position→different types

Pleasure & Advantage vs between Good
● Common source/ pleasure last longer
1. Lovers looking on the lover/ getting
attention from the lover
➔ Lad’s beauty wanes friendship wanes
➔ remain friends if characters alike

● Perfect trust in each other

➔ Time proves loyalty
➔ Proof against evil tongues
Equality in friendship
Friendship formed on equality

● both parties receive the same benefits

● wish each other the good
● exchange one thing for another e.g.pleasure for help
● e.g. the rich vs the potentate vs the poor
● Receive from the other same benefits
● Friendship: giving(loving)>receiving(be loved)

be loved(Ambition of most men):

● want to be honoured or for their own sake
● Seeking pleasure (confirmation from others)

● Giving each other affection->put on equality

● Given in accordance with merit
● Remain friends and friendship endures
Inequality in friendship e.g. father and son, husband and wife

Not expect to have identical benefit

Inequality can be compensated

Condition: no great gulf

between the two
Book 9
1. Giving & Receiving in a frienship
•Lowest level of friendship-> political form which giving and return is seen as economic activities and repay
(fair service: equivalent in advantage)

•In Love relationship-> sometimes love is not returned, and promises are not fulfilled
(sake of utility vs pleasure)-> not enduring
•Should: love his character & qualities > pure pleasure, because character &
qualities are self-dependent and enduring
•Should not: give reward before giving, in the relationship of job

Conflict found when the receive vs giving is not balanced

•In friendship with highest virtue, return of favour is according to the intention, not necessary with equal
value
•Higher level of friendship: the return is compromised by both parties
2. Repayment of debt

•People should repay debt before giving unless in urgent and noble case

•Repayment is decided base on the relationship of the two parties

3. Friend changed: end the relationship or not?
•Reasons of friendship:
-attributions (utility/pleasure)
-love for character

2 cases when friend change:

•1st case, friend became evil: should help the friend for correction, only end
relationship if the attempt failed
•2nd case, friend became too superior and have a large interval between you
and him: should keep a remembrance (紀念) of the friendship and make
some allowance for former relationship, but end the relationship anyway
5. Goodwill (善意) vs friendship and love relationship
•Properties of goodwill:
5 forms of friendship: •similar to friendship but not truly
1. one who wishes and does friendship
what is good for the sake of •It can be towards strangers
his/her friend
2. one who wishes his/her •Does not involve intensity or desire
friends to exist and live
3. one to live with
4. one who share the same
taste/interest with you
5. one who grieves and
rejoices with you (share
emotions)
6. Concord (和睦) of friendship

•Concord:The mark of political friendship

•Exists among good men since they desire what is just expedient

However,

•bad men want more than his own share and are in the state of discord
Consistency of friends
● Constant no wrong in himself

not allowing friends to do wrong

● No consistency fair-weather friends

attraction of opposites
The level of Beneficence
In benefactor’s mind: In beneficiary’s mind:

the beneficiary is my own work. the benefit received is useful. Thank you.
he/she extends my own existence (That’s all)
and action. (I act a noble action,
which deserves my remembrance
with pleasure.)

Example: A person is lover of something(e.g. money) if has put effort into acquiring(白手興家)
than if he has simply received it(富二代).
Self-relationship

Two kind of self-relation according to different people

- Virtuous men:
•Harmonious thought,
•part of soul in concord,
•self-loving as they see friends as another self
- Evil men:
•In conflict with themselves,
•see companion as distractions to escape from self,
•not disposed to love himself
The nature of true self-love
self-love

evil man: disregard one own’s good man:

do what is BENEFICIAL good and act for the do what is NOBLE to both
(regardless of virtue) to self. sake of friends himself and everything
else(including friends)
love friends>love self

PRINCIPLE:
(according to the nature of self-love mentioned previously)
friend is another self,
people love their friends as much as they love themself.
Why does the man in prosperity need friends?
1. living with others is human nature
2. Friends are external goods
3. happiness is an activity instead of ‘property’
4. virtue arises from company of goods

Assume friends and self are similarly ‘good’. (good friend=self)

Perception of his OWN GOODNESS is pleasant.

The limit to the number of friends
● Upper limit to the no. of friends

=Upper limit to the no. of people can (nobly)live together with

● all of a person’s friends should themselves need to be friends

6 pairs of friendship based on 10 pairs of friendship based

virtue on virtue
Are friends more needed in good or in bad fortune
Good fortune Bad fortune

need noble friends need useful friends

If we had good fortune, we should strong men deal with misfortune:

share it with our friends. avoid sharing grief with friends

if our friends had good fortune, we weak men deal with misfortune:
should accept them tardily. enjoy having others as companions in
grief

Be fast to share good fortune but slow to share misfortune.

The essence of friendship is living together
● companionship improve one another
● mutual influence: encouragement
-Discussion