Ancient and Medieval Concepts of Friendship

Download or read book Ancient and Medieval Concepts of Friendship written by Suzanne Stern-Gillet and published by SUNY Press. This book was released on 2014-11-13 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Charts the stages of the history of friendship as a philosophical concept in the Western world. Focusing on Plato and Aristotle, the Stoics and Epicureans, and early Christian and Medieval sources, Ancient and Medieval Concepts of Friendship brings together assessments of different philosophical accounts of friendship. This volume sketches the evolution of the concept from ancient ideals of friendship applying strictly to relationships between men of high social position to Christian concepts that treat friendship as applicable to all but are concerned chiefly with the soul’s relation to God—and that ascribe a secondary status to human relationships. The book concludes with two essays examining how this complex heritage was received during the Enlightenment, looking in particular to Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Hölderlin.