On Friendship

Friendship is, without question, one of life's great gifts. Yet it is surprisingly difficult to define. Even Michel de Montaigne, in his seminal essay "Of Friendship," found it impossible to account for why he loved the closest friend he ever had. And now that Facebook has turned "friends" into little more than virtual acquaintances, it is more important than ever to understand what friendship is and why it should be considered central to the good life.
In On Friendship, the acclaimed philosopher Alexander Nehamas launches a far-ranging investigation into this crucial feature of our lives. Exploring the long philosophical tradition on the subject, from Aristotle to Emerson to C. S. Lewis, and drawing on examples from literature, art, and drama, Nehamas illuminates what he calls friendship's "double face." We rely on our friends, confide in them, trust them to come to our aid, and derive great pleasure from even the most banal conversations with them.
Yet an irreparable break with a friend can be a source of profound pain and disappointment. And although it has long been perceived as an unalloyed moral good, friendship can be founded in immorality - criminals can be friends no less than the most virtuous among us. Nehamas argues that the good of friendship is not of the moral variety, but rather lies in the closed world that a friendship creates.
It is through time spent with our friends that we distinguish ourselves from the rest of humanity. Profound and affecting, On Friendship sheds light on why we love our friends -and how they shape who we are, and who we might become.