Aristotle on Friendship
"A friend is a single soul dwelling in two bodies." Aristotle, defining friendship for every generation that followed.
François Chazeray (French) — "Snuff Box (Tabatière)" (1777–78), CC0
Soulmates, according to Aristotle.
Aristotle, in Nicomachean Ethics (Book VIII), writes: «εἷς γὰρ ψυχὴ δύο σώμασιν οἰκοῦσα.» — "A friend is a single soul dwelling in two bodies." True friendship, for him, wasn’t just about pleasure or usefulness—it was about virtue made visible.
Friendship as soul food.
Aristotle saw real friends as mirrors: your best self, reflected back. In a world of shifting alliances and politics, friendship remained the one uncorrupted bond. A single soul, yes—but one multiplied by trust.
For Aristotle, friendship was not just pleasant—it was essential nourishment for the soul. His sense of connection shaped Western thinking for centuries.
