In: Psychology
According to Aquinas’ adaptation of Aristotle, what are the 5 things proper to friendship? Give examples of each. Can you name anything missing from Aquinas’ list of what is proper to a friendship, why or why not?
Note: This response is in UK English, please paste the response to MS Word and you should be able to spot discrepancies easily. You may elaborate the answer based on personal views or your classwork if necessary.
(Answer) According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, the 5 things proper to friendship are:
Most of the rules of Aquinas are based on the purging of selfishness from a friendship. In other words, a true friendship should not seek any gain other than love itself. Acts of morality and charity that Aquinas has included in this outline are things that enforce these feelings of selflessness. Therefore, it is not only essential that one should not be selfish or stagnant, but rather take a step forward in being selfless.
I would reckon that his outline is inclusive of all things essential in a friendship. This is because; selflessness would eventually give rise to respect, understanding and compassion. This would make selflessness an expression of love itself.