Nicomachean Ethics

Nicomachean Ethics

Although Aristotle values friendship, justice and

contemplation, friendship and justice are virtues essential for human

happiness because contemplation for a human being can be too much to

handle.

In order for any human being to be happy they must surround

themselves with friends and have many friendships. Aristotle considers

a friend to be “someone who wishes for and does good things, or things

that seem good, for the sake of the other person, or who wants the

friend to be and to live, for the friends own sake” (pg. 167; 1166a 1-

10). Agreeing with Aristotle, friends are people who wish for each

others good. Friends are people who are loyal, trustworthy, honest and

are willing to do anything for the sake of the other person. Some of

these qualities that a friend posses are based on friendships that

last. A friendship consists of many other qualities such as the

ability to want for others what you want for yourself, to always wish

your friends good fortune, and to always be at your friends side in

times of need. Aristotle goes on to say that some consider a friend to

be “someone with whom one spends time and who prefers the same things,

or someone who shares in pain and enjoyment with a friend” (pg. 167;

166a 1-10). This statement is absolutely true because one of things

that makes you friends with someone else are the same interests that

both of you have. Things that two people like or have in common brings

them closer together; therefore the friendship is much stronger. Also,

two people with the same interest will be able to communicate better

with each other and will understand the other person more fully than

someone else who does not share the same interest. One thing that

makes a really good friendship between two people is where you can

always count on the other person. In pain and in joy, a friend is

someone who will always be at your side and this will strengthen your

friendship. If a human being had no friends or friendship they would

never ever be truly happy because they would spend their lives being

alone and lonely. Friendship is an essential virtue for human

happiness because without friendship their would be no love, care, or

joy. Spending time with people who you love and care about brings

happiness to people and knowing that someone will always be there for

you no matter what happens on earth is a great feeling that people

want to have. No person can ever be happy if they do not have

friendship in their lives.

Another essential virtue for human beings to be happy is

justice because without justice life on earth would not be fair and

many people will not seek closure in certain situations. Justice is

something that everyone looks for whether it concerns some ones

actions or the law. It is also something that is inside every ones

soul that makes you already know what is just and unjust. Aristotle

states, “everyone intends justice to mean the sort of active condition

of the soul out of which people are inclined to perform just actions

and out of which they act justly and want what is just, and in the

same way everyone speaks of injustice as the active condition out of

which people act unjustly and want what is unjust” (pg. 79; 1129a 1-

12). Agreeing with Aristotle, people want what is just in their lives.

One example of what is just is if two young men who buy a pizza see a

homeless person and decide to share it with that homeless person.

Something inside them knows that this would be the just thing to do

considering the homeless person is starving. Let us say that a man

raped and killed 3 women. The families of the victims have the right

to want justice and see it carried out by the law. According to

Aristotle, “since the law-breaker is unjust and the law-abiding person

is just, it is clear that everything lawful is in some way just” (pg.

80; 1129b 10-20). For example, lets say two women both the same age

and status are working in a bakery. If one of the woman gets a salary

slightly higher than the other because of her skin color, then this is

unjust. Justice is what pays these two women the same salaries. There

are also times where people want things that are unjust. Many people

know