Hierarchy of Friendship

Aristotle poses three different kinds of friendship in Book VIII: utility, pleasure, and perfect friendship. Friendship based on utility is seen among individuals who would gain some worldly usefulness from befriending each other. Pleasure friendships are similar to those of utility because the individuals are useful to each other, but in the form of pleasure or pleasantness. Perfect or complete friendship is between two good virtuous men and is the highest form of friendship. This is achieved when both wish for the well-being of the other for the other's sake. There is an active participation in furthering that individual's flourishing. In participating in a perfect friendship there is also the existence of utility and pleasure friendships within it, but these are not the primary source of the friendship.

This leads to the question of whether complete perfect friendship rises out of utility or pleasure friendships? It is evident that the majority of friendships that an individual has are based on utility and pleasure as Aristotle says that perfect friendship is rare. Due to the time and effort required to attain perfect friendship, it seems that one could only have a few of these friendships. It makes sense that friendships could start as utility and pleasure, but over time turn into complete friendship after getting to know the other. However, I do not think that this hierarchy is to be followed so strictly. It also seems that the closer two individuals get to being virtuous, the friendships they form at that moment are going to be virtuous from the start or else they would not be virtuous people. Thus perfect friendships might start as utility or pleasure, but they can also come about on their own.

-BaylorBear16