Philosophy
Given that "best" is a superlative, can one have more than one best friend? How many could one have and still rightly claim that all are best friends?
We have special moral obligations to friends on the basis of the relationship, but are there special additional moral responsibilities we have to best friends? If so, is it a matter of degree or a matter of kind?
- High Maintenance As A Moral Category
We had our senior thesis presentations the other day and one of our seniors wrote on the moral responsibilities that stem from friendship relations. She took an Aristotelian sort of approach and during the Q&A section, a colleague raised the...
- I Want You To Want Me
I've had several friends -- not just Facebook friends, but actual real-life friends -- send me Facebook requests to become fans of theirs. Some are artists, others politicians, but the point is clearly to have a centralized place from which to organize...
- Of Friends And "friends"
Aristotle wrote that friendship is a special relation that has ethical dimensions. Similarly, contemporary thinkers like Carol Gilligan, Nel Noddings, and Sara Ruddick have stressed that the relationship between friends comes with certain obligations...
- Zoos And Moral Responsibility
An interesting question from Lee:I posted a link to a diary on DailyKos asking people to petition Mayor Bloomberg to maintain funding to the Bronx Zoo. I included a link where one could donate to the zoo itself. A friend replied, somewhat facetiously,...
- What Do You Do When Your Friend Is An Asshole?
Buridan has a recent post quoting H.L. Mencken: Someday the plain folks of the land will reach their heart?s desire, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. I must admit, I have a soft spot for Mencken. Maybe it's because I'm...
Philosophy
Best Friends
Given that "best" is a superlative, can one have more than one best friend? How many could one have and still rightly claim that all are best friends?
We have special moral obligations to friends on the basis of the relationship, but are there special additional moral responsibilities we have to best friends? If so, is it a matter of degree or a matter of kind?
- High Maintenance As A Moral Category
We had our senior thesis presentations the other day and one of our seniors wrote on the moral responsibilities that stem from friendship relations. She took an Aristotelian sort of approach and during the Q&A section, a colleague raised the...
- I Want You To Want Me
I've had several friends -- not just Facebook friends, but actual real-life friends -- send me Facebook requests to become fans of theirs. Some are artists, others politicians, but the point is clearly to have a centralized place from which to organize...
- Of Friends And "friends"
Aristotle wrote that friendship is a special relation that has ethical dimensions. Similarly, contemporary thinkers like Carol Gilligan, Nel Noddings, and Sara Ruddick have stressed that the relationship between friends comes with certain obligations...
- Zoos And Moral Responsibility
An interesting question from Lee:I posted a link to a diary on DailyKos asking people to petition Mayor Bloomberg to maintain funding to the Bronx Zoo. I included a link where one could donate to the zoo itself. A friend replied, somewhat facetiously,...
- What Do You Do When Your Friend Is An Asshole?
Buridan has a recent post quoting H.L. Mencken: Someday the plain folks of the land will reach their heart?s desire, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. I must admit, I have a soft spot for Mencken. Maybe it's because I'm...