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Aristotle · Great Ethics §1.31.1-1.31.2

Friendliness as a Mean Between Flattery and Hostility

Passage 33 of 71 · Greek

Summary

The passage defines friendliness as a mean between flattery and hostility, explaining that a friendly person neither exaggerates nor understates the facts, and acts appropriately in accordance with their own judgment.

§1.31.1φιλία δʼ ἐστὶν μεσότης κολακείας καὶ ἔχθρας, ἔστιν δὲ περὶ πράξεις καὶ λόγους·
Friendliness is a mean between flattery and hostility, and it is concerned with actions and words.
ὁ μὲν γὰρ κόλαξ ἐστὶν ὁ πλείω τῶν προσηκόντων καὶ ὄντων προστιθείς, ὁ δὲ ἀπεχθητικὸς ἐχθρὸς καὶ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων περιαιρῶν.
For the flatterer is one who adds more than what is fitting and actual, while the unpleasant person is hostile and takes away even from what is there.
οὐδέτερος οὖν ὀρθῶς ἐπαινετὸς ἐστίν, ὁ δὲ φίλος ἀνὰ μέσον τούτων· §1.31.2οὔτε γὰρ πλείω τῶν ὑπαρχόντων προσθήσει, οὔτʼ ἐπαινέσει τὰ μὴ προσήκοντα, οὔτʼ αὖ πάλιν ἐλάττω ποιήσει, οὔτε πάντως ἐναντιώσεται παρὰ τὸ δοκοῦν αὑτῷ.
Neither of them, therefore, is rightly praised, but the friend is in the middle of these; for he will neither add more than what is there, nor praise what is not fitting, nor on the other hand make it less, nor will he oppose everything contrary to his own opinion.

Notes

  1. 1.31.1πλείω τῶν προσηκόντων καὶ ὄντων — πλείω is the contracted form of the comparative πλείονα (accusative neuter plural), and the subsequent genitive phrase τῶν προσηκόντων καὶ ὄντων functions as a genitive of comparison. It means "more than what is fitting and actual (fact)."
  2. 1.31.1τῶν ὑπαρχόντων περιαιρῶν — περιαιρῶν is the nominative masculine singular present participle of the verb περιαιρέω, meaning "to strip away" or "to diminish," which governs the genitive object τῶν ὑπαρχόντων ("what is actually there," "facts"). It contrasts with the flatterer's exaggeration by showing that the hostile person minimizes and subtracts even from actual facts.
  3. 1.31.2παρὰ τὸ δοκοῦν αὑτῷ — The preposition παρὰ with the accusative means "contrary to," and τὸ δοκοῦν αὑτῷ refers to "what seems best to him" or "his own opinion/belief." Thus, it means "he will not oppose everything contrary to his own judgment (or belief)," indicating he is not blindly confrontational nor a flatterer who abandons his own views.

Cite this passage

Aristotle, Great Ethics §1.31.1-1.31.2. Humanitext Reader, https://reader.humanitext.ai/en/text/urn:cts:greekLit:tlg0086.tlg022.humanitext-grc1:1.31.1-1.31.2

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