| Summary: | This thesis examines how Aristotle's theory of friendship deals with differences between persons, given that his paradigm case is that of friendship between men who are excellent without qualification. I argue that because of his teleological understanding of human virtue, Aristotle believes that such men will share a comprehensive set of affective and rational apprehensions of the good; true friends will love and understand each other because of their identity in virtue. === I establish my interpretation against a rival view, which sees Aristotle as sensitive to the need for attentiveness to and valuation of differences between friends: while I show this latter view to be exegetically untenable, I suggest that it is informed by modern understandings of individual uniqueness which provide the basis for a critique of Aristotle. Finally, I explore the implications of a 'difference' critique of Aristotle for his understanding of the bonds which unite political communities.
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