Nicomachean Ethics

And friendship and justice seem, as was said at the beginning, to be concerned with the same things and to be found in the same persons. For in every community there seems to be some justice, and also friendship; at all events, people address as friends their shipmates and fellow-soldiers, and similarly those in other communities. And to the extent that they associate, to that extent there is friendship; for so is there justice. And the proverb “friends’ property is common” is correct; for friendship consists in community. And while brothers and companions have all things in common, for others things are defined, for some more, for others less; for indeed of friendships some exist in a higher degree, others in a lower. And the demands of justice also differ; for they are not the same for parents toward children and brothers toward each other, nor for companions and citizens, and similarly in the case of other friendships. The acts of injustice towards each of these are also different, and they increase in injustice by being directed against those who are more friends; for example, to defraud a companion of money is more terrible than to defraud a fellow-citizen, and not to help a brother is more terrible than not to help a stranger, and to strike a father is more terrible than to strike anyone else. And justice naturally increases together with friendship, since they exist in the same persons and extend to an equal degree. And all communities seem to be parts of the political community; for they travel together for some advantage, and to provide something of what is needed for life; and the political community also seems to have come together originally and to continue to exist for the sake of advantage; for this is what legislators also aim at, and they say that what is of common advantage is just. Now, the other communities aim at parts of advantage; for example, sailors aim at that which is of advantage for their voyage with a view to making money or something of the sort, fellow-soldiers at that which is of advantage in war, whether they desire money or victory or a city, and similarly also members of a tribe and of a deme. And all these seem to be under the political community; for the political community aims not at a present advantage, but at what is for the whole of life, making sacrifices and meetings for them, and rendering honors to the gods, and providing for themselves recreation with pleasure. For the ancient sacrifices and meetings seem to take place after the harvest of crops as first-fruits; for it was at these seasons that they had most leisure. All communities, then, seem to be parts of the political community; and the corresponding kinds of friendship will follow the corresponding kinds of community.