Aristotle is inclined to view human interaction as something which incites one to desire the happiness of his relational partner as the chief end of the relationship. This is a point which is absolutely essential to the conception of goodness which Aristotle holds as most valuable. He identifies a self-love, as it were, as one of the most important elements in forging a meaningful and positive relationship to the world. An individual thus inclined, and prone there to by his own virtue, goodness, self-sufficiency and constancy, will desire no gain for himself from the lot of another man. Defining his own virtues as those by which he may further his own ends, he is then free to pursue life and relationships unencumbered by the vulnerability to develop envy, to harbor resentment or to harvest exploitation. The mutuality of these qualities, rather than an imbalance which can be particularly injurious to...
[ View Full Essay]