Aristotle And C. S. Lewis On The Moral Significance Of Friendship -- By: Timothy S. Yoder

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 176:702 (Apr 2019)
Article: Aristotle And C. S. Lewis On The Moral Significance Of Friendship
Author: Timothy S. Yoder


Aristotle And C. S. Lewis On The Moral Significance Of Friendship

Timothy S. Yoder

Timothy S. Yoder is associate professor of theological studies, Dallas Theological Seminary, Dallas, Texas.

Abstract

Philosophers and theologians do not often consider the nature and importance of friendship. Aristotle and C. S. Lewis are two notable exceptions. A comparison of their accounts of friendship offers insights into the moral significance of friendship and the theological significance of having a friendship with God.

Friendship is not frequently the focus of philosophical reflection and deliberation. It seems more suited to the playground or ballfield than to rigorous analysis or weighty contemplation. Even in ethics, one rarely meets discussion of the topic. However, two significant thinkers, one Christian and one not, addressed the subject with care, consideration, and some measure of success. The great Greek thinker Aristotle (384–322 BC) devoted significant space to the topic of friendship in his famous Nicomachean Ethics.1 Among the many books by the twentieth century’s most important Christian thinker and writer, C. S. Lewis (1898–1963), is The Four Loves,2 in which Lewis analyzes Affection, Friendship, Eros, and Charity. The similarities and differences between their two treatments make for an interesting exercise in reflection, not to mention useful fodder for considering the

moral significance of friendship. This article alternates between the two thinkers on this topic, first laying out the context of the issue, then examining the philosophical content, and finally offering a critique of both Aristotle and Lewis on friendship. It concludes with two final sections, one on the moral significance of friendship and the other on its theological significance. The goal of this project is to explore the role of friendship in the life well lived, as understood by both philosophy and theology.

Aristotle—Context

The goal of Aristotle’s ethical system is eudaimonia, a term often misleadingly translated as “happiness.”3 As he notes in the opening lines of the book, “Every craft and every line of inquiry, and likewise every action and decision, seems to seek some good” (1.1.1). The rub is that not everyone can agree on what that good is. Some think it is health, others wealth or power or reputation and so on. Undeterred, Aristotle reasons that not all goods are complete in themselves. Some are a means to a further end. ...

You must have a subscription and be logged in to read the entire article.
Click here to subscribe
visitor : : uid: ()