[1234b]
[18]
Friendship—its nature
and qualities, what constitutes a friend, and whether the term
friendship has one or several meanings,
[20]
and if several, how many, and also what is
our duty towards a friend and what are the just claims of
friendship—is a matter that calls for investigation no less
than any of the things that are fine and desirable in men's
characters. For to
promote friendship is thought to be the special task of political
science; and people say that it is on this account that goodness is a
valuable thing, for persons wrongfully treated by one another cannot
be each other's friends.
Furthermore we all say that justice and injustice are chiefly
displayed towards friends; it is thought that a good man is a friendly
man, and that friendship is a state of the moral character; and if one
wishes to make men not act unjustly, it is enough to make them
friends, for true friends do not wrong one another. But neither will men act
unjustly if they are just; therefore justice and friendship are either
the same or nearly the same thing.In addition to this, we
consider a friend to be one of the greatest goods, and friendlessness
and solitude a very terrible thing, because the whole of life and
voluntary association is with friends;
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