亚里士多德论友爱与幸福

Aristotle's Account of Friendship and Happiness

亚里士多德的友爱与欲爱之间存在着本质的差别,友爱是一种美德或包含着美德,它是一种使人秉持适度原则来处理人际关系的伦理品质。根据友爱产生的原因可将其分为美善的友爱、快乐的友爱和有用的友爱三种,美善的友爱优越于快乐的友爱和有用的友爱。幸福就是至善,是灵魂合于智慧的实现活动。幸福与沉思同在,越能够沉思的存在就越是幸福。好朋友对于幸福的意义就在于:好朋友及其实践是沉思活动的对象,持续的沉思活动离不开好朋友的陪伴,并且好朋友自然地值得我们欲求。正因如此,友爱被视为最大的外在美善。

There are some essential differences between friendship and erotic love in Aristotle＇s ethics. Friendship is a virtue or involves virtue, and is an ethical disposition which enables us to handle interpersonal relationships in accordance with the mean doctrine. According to the three causes of friendship, it is classified into three types： friendship for good, for pleasure and for utility. Friendship for good is superior to that for pleasure and for utility. Happiness is the highest good, and is the activity of soul in accordance with the virtue of wisdom. It extends as far as contemplation, and the more contemplation there is in one＇s life, the happier one is. A virtuous friend is significant for one~ happiness, because the virtuous friend and his praetiee constitutes the object of one＇s contemplation, and persistent contemplation requires a virtuous friend＇s company, and also a virtuous friend seems worthy of choice by nature. For these reasons, friendship is considered to be the biggest extemal good.