Remarks on Philosophy and Friendship

The intention of this paper is to discuss the bond that defines a friendship and, above all, to speak to the way in which this bond is at the basis of philosophy itself. In particular, the role of conversation and dialogue, of respect and openness, come to the fore in this discussion. While Aristotle’s examination of friendship is presented here, the central concern is to understand the nature of the philosophical friendship and bond that I had shared with Stephen Gaukroger.