Friendship and Flourishing

Aristotle considered friendship essential to the good life — not optional but necessary. He distinguished three types of friendship: friendships of utility (business relationships), friendships of pleasure (enjoyable companionship), and friendships of virtue (deep bonds based on mutual admiration of character).

Friendships of virtue are the fullest and most complete form of friendship. In these relationships, each person loves the other for who they are, not only for what they provide. These friendships are rare, develop slowly, and require both people to be virtuous — you cannot have a virtue friendship with someone of bad character.