Aristotle's Elements Of Friendship

Aristotle says that the ultimate friendship is that of a good friendship. That is, a friendship between individuals who are good and virtuous. The individuals in this relationship wish goodwill upon each other and are good individuals themselves. He says those who wish goodwill upon their friends only for the sake of their friends having goodwill are the truest of friends. This is a type of friendship that has longevity because “goodness is an enduring thing.” The good friendship has elements of utility and pleasure, but is not based on selfish needs. These types of friendships take time to flourish, but are worth the effort. There are also a few key elements of friendship worth noting. First, relationships exist between individuals within

Having good friendships that are built on justice lends itself to having a just community filled with friends. Good friendship rids the community of needing justice, or justice between friends as Aristotle said earlier, because good friends already seek the best welfare for their fellow person. As Socrates may put it, friendship within this lens exists because individuals stay within the position in which they are suited, that is they provide for the welfare of others freely and unselfishly, and that position provides the bases for communal harmony between city dwellers. Furthermore, the auxiliaries and guardians will be able to distinguish between friend and foe in order to better serve the society. Justice within individuals who form friendships mirrors that of justice within the city where the rational mind maintains structure, or the goodwill of the society per

Tupac paints society as a heinous force that has entrapped Black males into a cycle of drug and turf wars, which creates an ever-present watchful eye from the police. Even those who are not engaged in such activities become pawns in the speculation of mischief. This leads to the brutal killing and constant, be it warranted or not, harassment of Black males by police officers. This cycle is fueled by the constant strain of poverty due to racist institutions with society. Essentially, utility friendship with the government officials, or guardians, has been dissolved because of the lack of care the Black community, especially Black males, experience within a deceptively racist system that does not provide for the goodwill of all citizens equally. Furthermore, because of the poor educational systems and economic strife that exists within Black communities, many Black men have turned to violence as a means to survive. They are no long able to tell friend from foe, or stranger from brother, causing the idea of a good friendship not to exist between Black men because everyone is seeking their piece of the pie just to