Book 9
1
As then lovers find their greatest delight in seeing those they love, and prefer the gratification of the sense of sight to that of all the other senses, that sense being the chief seat and source of love, so likewise for friends (may we not say?) the society of each other is the most desirable thing there is. For (i) friendship is essentially a partnership. And (ii) a man stands in the same relation to a friend as to himselfSee chap. 4 and 9.5.; but the consciousness of his own existence is a good; so also therefore is the consciousness of his friend’s existence; but thisOr possibly, and friendship is realized in intercourse, a separate reason for the thesis of the first sentence. consciousness is actualized in intercourse; hence friends naturally desire each other’s society.
2
And (iii) whatever pursuit it is that constitutes existence for a man or that makes his life worth living, he desires to share that pursuit with his friends. Hence some friends drink or dice together, others practise athletic sports and hunt, or study philosophy, in each other’s company; each sort spending their time together in the occupation that they love best of everything in life; for wishing to live in their friends’ society, they pursue and take part with them in these occupations as best they can.The text is doubtful; most MSS. give, by which they think they live in their society.
