Big Ideas The Sophia Club live philosophy — what are friends for?
Nov 19, 2025
Mark Alfano, a philosophy professor specializing in moral psychology, leads the discussion on the virtues of friendship and how true connection fosters self-growth. Award-winning composer Dr. Peter Knight and vocalist Sunny Kim share their insights on musical friendships, emphasizing the trust and intimacy that arise through improvisation. The trio reflects on the complexities of modern friendships, the risks of toxic relationships, and how they shape our identities. Together, they explore whether friendships are essential for a fulfilling life.
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Choice Plus Mutual Acceptance
- Friendship is unique because it combines choice and mutual ongoing acceptance, creating vulnerability between people.
- Mark Alfano argues this vulnerability lets friends reveal moral worth and enable deep self-knowledge.
Friendship Shapes Character
- Aristotle distinguished three friendship types: pleasure, utility and virtue, and prized virtue friendships for shaping character.
- Alfano explains virtue friendships push friends to become better, often by seeing more potential than they see themselves.
Poem And Improvisation As Bonding
- Sunny Kim recited Park Doosun's poem 'To a Friend' to illustrate how friends can be constellations of support.
- The musical duo then described how improvisation forces honesty and creates a distinct, embodied friendship.
