Kitap 7
1
These then are three kinds of friendship; and in all of these the term friendship in a manner indicates equality, for even with those who are friends on the ground of goodness the friendship is in a manner based on equality of goodness.
2
But another variety of these kinds is friendship on a basis of superiority, as in that of a god for a man,for that is a different kind of friendship, and generally of a ruler and subject; just as the principle of justice between them is also different, being one of equality proportionally but not of equality numerically.Between two unequal persons justice divides benefits in proportion to their deserts, so that the two shares are not equal to each other but each equal to its recipient’s merit. The word ἴσον itself connotes fair, just, reasonable. The friendship of father for son is in this class, and that of benefactor for beneficiary.
3
And of these sorts of friendship themselves there are varieties: the friendship of father for son is different from that of husband for wife—the former is friendship as between ruler and subject, the latter that of benefactor for beneficiary. And in these varieties either there is no return of affection or it is not returned in a similar way.
4
For it would be ludicrous if one were to accuse God because he does not return love in the same way as he is loved, or for a subject to make this accusation against a ruler; for it is the part of a ruler to be loved, not to love, or else to love in another way.
