In the writings of Aristotle, seen

In the writings of Aristotle, seen in Nicomachean Ethics, it is evident that Aristotle believes that friendship is necessary for a virtuous and therefore happy life. I believe that this is accurate due to the similar conditions necessary for a complete friendship and a happy life. It is also evident that friendship is useful in achieving a happy life because friendship can make performing virtuous actions easier. His interpretation can be misunderstood and mistakes in practice can be made, so we will need to discuss these follies as well, in order to understand all the effects of friendship on achieving a happy life.
Let us first examine the similarities of friendship with that of happiness and virtue, which we discussed previously is the most necessary part of a happy life. Aristotle describes happiness by saying “happiness is most choiceworthy of all the goods (1097b17-18).” His idea of choiceworthy is something we choose “because of itself, never because of something else (1097b).” Friendship is seen as similar to happiness when Aristotle describes friendship as “choiceworthy in its own right (1159a27).” Proven earlier, virtue is necessary for a happy life because “happiness is a certain sort of activity of the soul in accord with virtue (1099b26-27).” Since virtue is such an integral part of happiness, the similarity between friendship and virtue is relevant to the relationship between friendship and a happy life. Aristotle describes virtues as “states (1106a14),” and at the same time describes friendship as “a state (1157b30),” as well. He goes on further to say, “Just as, in the case of virtues, some people are called good in their state of character, others good in their activity, the same is true of friendship (1157b5-7).” It seems, according to Aristotle, that virtuous people make the best friends, “complete friendship is the friendship of good people similar in virtue (1156b7-8).” Lastly, it is evident that both virtue and friendship are voluntary, for you cannot “make a friend of someone who is unwilling (1163a13),” and “virtue is also up to us (1113b8),” because “decision is proper to a friend and to virtue (1164b2).” With so many similarities between friendship and virtue it is logical to assume that friendship accords with virtue as a part of happiness.
Since we have discussed the states of friendship and virtue in relationship to happiness, we must now examine the activities of friendship and virtue that make a happy life easier to attain. Aristotle claimed that of the goods in life “some are necessary conditions of happiness, while others are naturally useful and cooperative as instruments (1099b28-29).” He goes on further to exclaim that “having friends seems to be the greatest external good (1169b10-11).” Therefore this external good would be useful in attaining happiness. Friendship can be used as an instrument in performing virtuous actions necessary for happiness because “the solitary person’s life is hard, since it is not easy for him to be continually active all by himself; but in relation to others and in their company it is easier (1170a6-8).” Friends can also help us achieve happiness but guiding us to do virtuous acts, “for it is proper to good people to avoid error themselves and not to permit it in their friends (1159b7-8).” Friendship serves another important function for a happy life, comfort. Aristotle is right to express that if someone “suffers many major misfortunes, they oppress and spoil his blessedness, since they involve pain and impede many activities (100b29-30).” One of the greatest benefits to happiness from friendship is the help of a friend in enduring hardships. In times of sorrow “we have our pain lightened when our friends share our distress...For certainly the sight of our friends in itself is pleasant, especially when we are in ill fortune, and it gives us some assistance in removing our pain (1171a30-1171b3).” This assistance from our friends allows us to more readily rise up from our ill fortune and return to a happy, virtuous life.
It seems obvious, that through its resemblance to virtue and its benefits to our daily life, that friendship is choice worthy and necessary. However, we must be careful and wary of choosing our friends poorly, for “each one loves not what is good for him, but what appears good for him (1155b26).” Therefore it is possible to make mistakes in our choice of friends and we must try to select our friends wisely, “for we ought neither to love the bad nor to become similar to a base person, and we have said that similar is friend of similar (1165b16-17).” We run the risk of being influenced towards vice if we are not fully aware of the character of our friends. Not all friendships lead to a virtuous and happy life so we must be mindful “to find out whether someone is really good...which is extremely difficult (1158a14-16).”
Conclusively, the similarities of friendship and virtue allow the two states to correspond with one another in a happy life. The purpose of friendship is not only to coexist with virtue but also, by the actions of friends, virtue and friendship strengthen one another, making happiness all the more easy to attain because of it. Aristotle sums it up nicely, by saying “the friendship of decent people is decent, and increases the more often they meet. And they seem to become better still from their activities and their mutual correction. For each molds the other in a what they approve of, so that you will learn what is noble from noble people (1172a11-14).”

Kết quả (Việt) 1:

Trong các tác phẩm của Aristotle, thấy trong đạo Đức Nicomachean, nó là điều hiển nhiên rằng Aristotle tin rằng tình bạn là cần thiết cho một cuộc sống đạo Đức và do đó hạnh phúc. Tôi tin rằng điều này là chính xác do các điều kiện tương tự như cần thiết cho một tình bạn hoàn thành và một cuộc sống hạnh phúc. Nó cũng là điều hiển nhiên rằng tình bạn là hữu ích trong việc đạt được một cuộc sống hạnh phúc vì tình bạn có thể làm cho thực hiện hành động đạo Đức dễ dàng hơn. Giải thích của ông có thể bị hiểu lầm và sai lầm trong thực tế có thể được thực hiện, do đó chúng tôi sẽ cần phải thảo luận về những follies là tốt, để hiểu tất cả những ảnh hưởng của tình hữu nghị vào việc đạt được một cuộc sống hạnh phúc. Let us first examine the similarities of friendship with that of happiness and virtue, which we discussed previously is the most necessary part of a happy life. Aristotle describes happiness by saying “happiness is most choiceworthy of all the goods (1097b17-18).” His idea of choiceworthy is something we choose “because of itself, never because of something else (1097b).” Friendship is seen as similar to happiness when Aristotle describes friendship as “choiceworthy in its own right (1159a27).” Proven earlier, virtue is necessary for a happy life because “happiness is a certain sort of activity of the soul in accord with virtue (1099b26-27).” Since virtue is such an integral part of happiness, the similarity between friendship and virtue is relevant to the relationship between friendship and a happy life. Aristotle describes virtues as “states (1106a14),” and at the same time describes friendship as “a state (1157b30),” as well. He goes on further to say, “Just as, in the case of virtues, some people are called good in their state of character, others good in their activity, the same is true of friendship (1157b5-7).” It seems, according to Aristotle, that virtuous people make the best friends, “complete friendship is the friendship of good people similar in virtue (1156b7-8).” Lastly, it is evident that both virtue and friendship are voluntary, for you cannot “make a friend of someone who is unwilling (1163a13),” and “virtue is also up to us (1113b8),” because “decision is proper to a friend and to virtue (1164b2).” With so many similarities between friendship and virtue it is logical to assume that friendship accords with virtue as a part of happiness. Since we have discussed the states of friendship and virtue in relationship to happiness, we must now examine the activities of friendship and virtue that make a happy life easier to attain. Aristotle claimed that of the goods in life “some are necessary conditions of happiness, while others are naturally useful and cooperative as instruments (1099b28-29).” He goes on further to exclaim that “having friends seems to be the greatest external good (1169b10-11).” Therefore this external good would be useful in attaining happiness. Friendship can be used as an instrument in performing virtuous actions necessary for happiness because “the solitary person’s life is hard, since it is not easy for him to be continually active all by himself; but in relation to others and in their company it is easier (1170a6-8).” Friends can also help us achieve happiness but guiding us to do virtuous acts, “for it is proper to good people to avoid error themselves and not to permit it in their friends (1159b7-8).” Friendship serves another important function for a happy life, comfort. Aristotle is right to express that if someone “suffers many major misfortunes, they oppress and spoil his blessedness, since they involve pain and impede many activities (100b29-30).” One of the greatest benefits to happiness from friendship is the help of a friend in enduring hardships. In times of sorrow “we have our pain lightened when our friends share our distress...For certainly the sight of our friends in itself is pleasant, especially when we are in ill fortune, and it gives us some assistance in removing our pain (1171a30-1171b3).” This assistance from our friends allows us to more readily rise up from our ill fortune and return to a happy, virtuous life. It seems obvious, that through its resemblance to virtue and its benefits to our daily life, that friendship is choice worthy and necessary. However, we must be careful and wary of choosing our friends poorly, for “each one loves not what is good for him, but what appears good for him (1155b26).” Therefore it is possible to make mistakes in our choice of friends and we must try to select our friends wisely, “for we ought neither to love the bad nor to become similar to a base person, and we have said that similar is friend of similar (1165b16-17).” We run the risk of being influenced towards vice if we are not fully aware of the character of our friends. Not all friendships lead to a virtuous and happy life so we must be mindful “to find out whether someone is really good...which is extremely difficult (1158a14-16).” Conclusively, the similarities of friendship and virtue allow the two states to correspond with one another in a happy life. The purpose of friendship is not only to coexist with virtue but also, by the actions of friends, virtue and friendship strengthen one another, making happiness all the more easy to attain because of it. Aristotle sums it up nicely, by saying “the friendship of decent people is decent, and increases the more often they meet. And they seem to become better still from their activities and their mutual correction. For each molds the other in a what they approve of, so that you will learn what is noble from noble people (1172a11-14).”