BASC80129 - A Close Reading of Aristotle on Justice and Friendship

Course Description

While Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics is rightly thought of for its concept of character as it arises out of habit, and for the rich and pragmatic accounts of the character virtues that represent admirable human development, less attention is given to the two chapters that are in fact the pinnacle of the work: the book on justice (which he breaks into two- one part which concerns lawfulness as “complete virtue,” and the other concerning justice in economic exchange and in court systems), and the two books he devotes to friendship, which he considers higher than and more important than justice. This course will aim to focus in on justice and friendship, the relationship between them, and their importance to an ethical and happy life.