The Thomistic Institute How To Be A Good Friend: Combatting Envy And Apathy And Exercising Love And Wisdom | Prof. W. Scott Cleveland
May 13, 2025
W. Scott Cleveland, an Associate Professor of Philosophy and Catholic Studies at the University of Mary, shares profound insights on friendship, ethics, and the virtues that sustain it. He explores Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia, highlighting how true happiness enhances relationships. The discussion delves into the challenges of envy and apathy, emphasizing the need for charitable love. Cleveland also outlines practical ways to nurture friendships through prudence and constructive feedback, revealing the moral foundations essential for genuine connections.
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Friendship Vital to Flourishing
- Healthy, fulfilling relationships significantly influence long-term health and happiness.
- Friendship is essential to human flourishing as social beings.
Final End Defines Human Action
- Every action aims at some end, culminating in a final end or chief good.
- Happiness or eudaimonia is that ultimate final end everyone desires.
Pleasure-Based Friendships Are Shallow
- Sensory pleasure alone is insufficient for human happiness; living for pleasure is a life fit for cows, not humans.
- Viewing friends merely as sources of enjoyment leads to shallow, unstable friendships.
