Friendship: A Philosophical Reader

by Neera Kapur Badhwar (Editor)

Recent years have seen a marked revival of interest among philosophers in the topic of friendship. This collection of fifteen articles is the first to make some of the best recent work on friendship readily accessible. The book is divided into three sections. The first centers on the nature of friendship, the difference between friendship and other personal loves, and the importance of friendship in the individual's life. The second section discusses the moral significance of friendship and the response of various ethical theories and theorists (Aristotelian, Christian, Kantian, and consequentialist) to the phenomenon of friendship. The last section deals with the importance of personal and civic friendship in a good society. Badhwar's introduction is a comprehensive critical discussion of the issues raised by the essays: it relates them to each other, as well as to historical and contemporary discussions not included in the anthology, thus providing the reader with an integrated overview of the essays and their place in the larger philosophical picture.

Genres: Friendship, Philosophy

346 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1993

Reviews

[Karen Shilvock-Cinefro · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent collection of essays covering general friendship, ethics, society, and politics. Pieces by C.S. Lewis, Lawrence Thomas,Michael Stocker , Marilyn Friedman, and more.

[Geoffrey Yip · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's great as a historical survey of philosophical and political thought on friendship. None of the essays are that engaging and the arguments are more muddled than memorable. The book (published in 1993) also shows its age with respect to discussions on modern relationships.

All that said, it's hard to beat the variety in this book. Friendship is the "least necessary love" and it's because of this voluntary nature that thinkers are able to tease out so many radical implications.

[Rickard Godzkilla · Rating 3 out of 5]

good collection, just dont agree with all the essays. Then again, it is supposed to show varying ideas.