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[10]
and if the virtuous man feels towards
his friend in the same way as he feels towards himself (for his friend is a
second self) —then, just as a man's own existence is desirable for him,
so, or nearly so, is his friend's existence also desirable. But, as we saw, it is the
consciousness of oneself as good1 that makes existence
desirable, and such consciousness is pleasant in itself. Therefore a man ought also to
share his friend's consciousness of his existence, and this is attained by their living
together and by conversing and communicating their thoughts to each other; for this is the
meaning of living together as applied to human beings, it does not mean merely feeding in
the same place, as it does when applied to cattle.
If then to the supremely happy man existence is desirable in itself, being good and
pleasant essentially, and if his friend's existence is almost equally desirable to him, it
follows that a friend is one of the things to be desired. But that which is desirable for
him he is bound to have, or else his condition will be incomplete in that particular.
Therefore to be happy a man needs virtuous friends.
1 Perhaps to be emended ‘of its goodness,’ cf. l. 5 of the Greek. It is consciousness of life as good that makes it pleasant and desirable.
Aristotle in 23 Volumes, Vol. 19, translated by H. Rackham. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1934.
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