Danielle Withrow PHIL 2320-53
In many of Aristotle’s works, he often times mentions the idea of philia, which he goes on to describe as
the platonic loving relationship of two people, which is a lifelong property of a long time established friendship.
Aristotle believed that friendship is something that must be cultivated and that true philia can only come about
through recurring amiable encounters between two people. There is much debate on whether or not philia is a
type of virtue or a virtue of a kind of something and whether it is the achievement, capacity or the effort put
forth. Philia qua affection is not to be mistaken for philia qua relation or character. This can be confusing for
those reading Aristotle’s works because of the many forms of philia and the various Rylean categories in which
they encompass. There are many argued possibilities as to how friendship was viewed in the ancient world,
whether it was considered to be pragmatic or simply consisted of well-established bonds between companions.
Those who support the former view believe that the focus on the emotional aspects of companionship is based
on an outdated idea of friendship from ancient times. It is important to note in Aristotle’s passages that there are
many times in which he discusses philia and philein as being instances of pathe that is, affections or emotions.
If Nicomachean Ethics Book II is referenced, it can be seen that for Aristotle philia can be considered an
emotion as he lists it amongst others such as anger, fear, shame, gratitude, and pity. Simultaneously philia
continues to refer to the bond between friends, making it an indispensable connection between philia and
friendship.
In the second book of Rhetoric, Aristotle has concluded that there are three definite, practical means of
persuasion. These are potentially a result of either the speaker’s character, their argument, or the emotional state
of their listeners. Aristotle goes on to stress that speakers must provoke emotions in their audience if they are to
achieve their goal of persuasion. By doing this, the speaker is able to change the audience’s judgments on a
subject. It is important to understand that the speaker’s goal is not to change the audience’s actions or their
decisions, it is only to bring about certain emotions. In Rhetoric II, Aristotle deduces three factors for several
emotions. The first being in what state of mind the person feels their emotion, the second is against whom they
feel the emotion, and lastly, for what sorts of reasons. With these in mind, a speaker will be able to emphasize
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