Kitap 2
4.1
Let us now state who are the persons that men loveφιλεῖν may be translated to love or to like; φιλία by love, liking, or friendship; for φίλος friend alone is suitable. For the two meanings cp. the use of aimer in French, and lieben in German. or hate, and why, after we have defined love and loving.
4.2
Let loving, then, be defined as wishing for anyone the things which we believe to be good, for his sake but not for our own, and procuring them for him as far as lies in our power. A friend is one who loves and is loved in return, and those who think their relationship is of this character consider themselves friends.
4.3
This being granted, it necessarily follows that he is a friend who shares our joy in good fortune and our sorrow in affliction, for our own sake and not for any other reason. For all men rejoice when what they desire comes to pass and are pained when the contrary happens, so that pain and pleasure are indications of their wish.
4.4
And those are friends who have the same ideas of good and bad, and love and hate the same persons, since they necessarily wish the same things; wherefore one who wishes for another what he wishes for himself seems to be the other's friend.
4.5
We also like those who have done good either to us or to those whom we hold dear, if the services are important, or are cordially rendered, or under certain circumstances, and for our sake only; and all those whom we think desirous of doing us good.
4.6
And those who are friends of our friends and who like those whom we like, and those who are liked by those who are liked by us;
4.7
and those whose enemies are ours, those who hate those whom we ourselves hate, and those who are hated by those who are hated by us; for all such persons have the same idea as ourselves of what is good, so that they wish what is good for us, which, as we said, is the characteristic of a friend.
