Book 7
12
These, then, are two opinions about friendship, and being so widely separated they are too generali.e. being so absolutely opposite to one another, they are too sweeping, and do not really correspond with the facts.; but there are others that are closer together and more akin to the facts of observation. Some persons think that it is not possible for bad men to be friends, but only for the good. Others think it strange that mothers should not love their own children
13
(and maternal affection we see existing even among animals—at least, animals choose to die for their young).
14
Others hold that only what is useful is a friend, the proof being that all men actually do pursue the useful, and discard what is useless even in their own persons (as the old SocratesCf. Aristot. Eud. Eth. 1216b 3. used to say, instancing spittle, hair and nails), and that we throw away even parts of the body that are of no use, and finally the body itself, when it dies, as a corpse is useless—but people that have a use for it keep it, as in Egypt.
15
Now all these factorsi.e. likeness, contrariety, utility (Solomon). seem to be somewhat opposed to one another. For like is of no use to like and opposition is farthest removed from likeness, and at the same time opposite is most useless to opposite, since opposite is destructive of opposite.
