Book 8 / Chapter 9
Paragraph 1 - Friendship and Justice in Community
Explanation - Part By Part
"Friendship and justice seem, as we have said at the outset of our discussion, to be concerned with the same objects and exhibited between the same persons."
Aristotle points out that friendship and justice are closely intertwined—they deal with the same people and situations. In other words, the relationships and communities where friendship is found are also where justice is practiced. This connection implies that the principles guiding how we treat others as friends are linked to how we act justly within those relationships. Friendship and justice are not separate forces but overlap in the same social spaces.
"For in every community there is thought to be some form of justice, and friendship too; at least men address as friends their fellow-voyagers and fellowsoldiers, and so too those associated with them in any other kind of community."
In this section, Aristotle points out that wherever there is a form of community or shared purpose, there is also some element of both justice and friendship present. For example, people who travel together on a journey (fellow-voyagers) or who fight together in a war (fellow-soldiers) often treat each other as friends because they share a common goal or experience. This suggests that friendship naturally arises where people are connected or collaborate in some way.
"And the extent of their association is the extent of their friendship, as it is the extent to which justice exists between them."
Aristotle is saying that the depth or closeness of a relationship determines both the level of friendship and the amount of justice required within it. Essentially, the stronger the connection or bond between people (such as family, comrades, or fellow-citizens), the more significant their mutual obligations are—both in terms of fairness and care. Friendship and justice grow together in proportion to the level of association or shared purpose individuals have with one another. For example, the closer someone is to you, like a sibling or a close friend, the greater your mutual responsibilities and the stronger the sense of fairness expected in that relationship.
"And the proverb 'what friends have is common property' expresses the truth; for friendship depends on community."
In this part, Aristotle is emphasizing that friendship is rooted in shared experience or community. The proverb "what friends have is common property" highlights the idea that true friends see what they have—whether it’s resources, experiences, or values—as belonging to both of them in some sense, rather than being strictly individual possessions. This doesn’t necessarily mean literal ownership, but rather a deep sense of mutual sharing or connectedness. For Aristotle, this shared sense of purpose and unity is what solidifies friendship. Friendship, therefore, thrives in environments where there is some form of common ground or collaboration.
"Now brothers and comrades have all things in common, but the others to whom we have referred have definite things in common-some more things, others fewer; for of friendships, too, some are more and others less truly friendships."
In this part, Aristotle is highlighting that the depth and nature of friendships vary depending on the type of relationship. For example, relationships between brothers or close comrades are considered very deep, characterized by sharing "all things in common." This means there's a strong bond, mutual loyalty, and a sense of unity where almost everything is shared—emotions, responsibilities, resources, or experiences.
On the other hand, other types of friendships—those less deep or based on different circumstances (like friendships of utility or shared activities)—involve sharing fewer things and are less comprehensive. Some friendships might be limited to specific situations or mutual interests, making them less "true" in comparison to the more profound forms of friendship where there is almost complete sharing or alignment.
Aristotle is essentially saying that not all friendships are equal in depth or intensity; some are more tied to the essence of true friendship, while others fall somewhere further away on the spectrum.
"And the claims of justice differ too; the duties of parents to children, and those of brothers to each other are not the same, nor those of comrades and those of fellow-citizens, and so, too, with the other kinds of friendship."
Aristotle is emphasizing that the concept of justice differs depending on the relationship between people. The moral duties or responsibilities someone has toward another person vary based on the closeness or type of the relationship. For example, the responsibilities a parent has toward their child are different from the responsibilities siblings have toward each other. Similarly, the duties we owe to close friends, like comrades, are not the same as those we owe to fellow citizens or acquaintances. Essentially, the nature of justice is shaped by the context and the depth of the connection in each relationship.
"There is a difference, therefore, also between the acts that are unjust towards each of these classes of associates, and the injustice increases by being exhibited towards those who are friends in a fuller sense; e.g. it is a more terrible thing to defraud a comrade than a fellow-citizen, more terrible not to help a brother than a stranger, and more terrible to wound a father than any one else."
Aristotle is pointing out that the severity of injustice depends on the type of relationship we have with the person who is wronged. The closer or more meaningful the relationship, the greater the wrongdoing feels. For example, cheating or betraying a close friend (a "comrade") is worse than betraying a fellow-citizen you don’t know well. Similarly, withholding help from your sibling is more grievous than failing to assist a total stranger. And harming your father — someone crucial to your life and existence — is worse than hurting a random person.
The stronger the bond of friendship or connection, the more serious the moral weight of any harm or injustice. This reinforces the idea that both justice and friendship grow and intensify depending on the closeness and complexity of the relationship. The closer someone is to us, the greater our ethical responsibility toward them.
"And the demands of justice also seem to increase with the intensity of the friendship, which implies that friendship and justice exist between the same persons and have an equal extension."
This part emphasizes that justice and friendship are closely interconnected—the stronger or deeper a friendship is, the greater the moral and ethical responsibilities (the "demands of justice") people have toward one another. For instance, betraying or wronging a close friend feels far more morally severe than doing the same to someone we barely know. Aristotle is pointing out that our sense of justice is deeply tied to the relationships we form, and these two concepts—justice and friendship—are not only linked but also grow in parallel. Where there’s a strong bond of friendship, there’s also a heightened expectation of fairness and moral behavior.