NO ONE WILL MISS JOBS:

In the same way, few people, including modern intellectuals (with the wonderful exception of C. S. Lewis in The Four Loves), give much attention to friendship. To begin his treatment of the issue, Aristotle states matter-of-factly, "Nobody would choose to live without friends even if he had all the other good things." Friendship is both practical and good, and is essentially different from the other relationships that people have, which are primarily transactional. Rather than being based on usefulness or pleasure, friendship is based on equality and seeking the good.

This definition of friendship has all but disappeared today. Most people do not really form friendships; they form partnerships and networks. Or, when even this proves too strenuous, many now resort to virtual facsimiles of partnerships and networks. Not only has this trend deterred many from self-improvement, but it has dehumanized many aspects of Western culture. Consequently, people have become insensitive, less self-aware, and less fulfilled.

Perhaps where Nicomachean Ethics resonates most for audiences today is in Aristotle's two ideals of happiness: the magnanimous man and the contemplative life. Although many different parallels can apply, the magnanimous man represents a person's public activities while the contemplative life represents his private activities.

True, with the first example, Aristotle imagines famous generals and politicians enjoying their superlative greatness with dignity and grace, and with the second example, he likely envisions himself, living a life of the mind and reworking and revising his own ideas. However, the modern man can imitate that great-souled man's example, pursuing virtue and status without needing regular validation and compensation. Moreover, he can live a life of the mind, both by reading and writing great books or speaking and listening to wise people. What once required a class of slaves and great wealth is now possible to most people who have the means and the will to be content.

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