Eros, Philia and Philautia in Aristotle:Relationships and Differences in Personal Affectivity

Abstract

This study addresses the nature of, and differences among “Love”, “Friendship”, and “Love of self”, as essential modes of human affectivity. These three inner affective mo-ments are related within the framework of Aristotle’s ethical-political and metaphysical perspective. The relation that governs the three concepts is understood in terms of the categories of practical reason. The article addresses the problem of the characteristics, de-scriptions, and distinctions among these three dimensions in order to place them in their proper context. Since Aristotle defines his concepts gradually, by stages, the study focused mainly on three of his fundamental works: Nicomachean Ethics, Eudemian Ethics, and Rhetoric. Studying the relevant passages of these Works serves to show how Aristotle understood these facets of human life, highlighting the wealth that springs from them.