Kitap 7
6
All these defining marks are predicated in the case of some friendship, but none of them with reference to friendship as a single thing. Hence there are many of them, and each is thought to belong to friendship as one, though it does not: for instance, the desire for the friend’s existence—for the superior friend and benefactor wishes existence to belong to his own worki.e. the beneficiary.—and to him who gave one existenceThis also means the beneficiary, who is the cause of the benefactor’s being a benefactor; so the benefactor ought to repay him in kind by wishing his existence (as he does also for the reason that he is his own product.) it is one’s duty to give existence in return; but he wishes the society not of this friend but of the pleasant one.
7
Friends in some cases wrong each other, because they love things more, not the possessor of them, and are friends of the possessor too on this account (just as a man chose his wine because it was sweet and chose his wealth because it was useful), for he is more useful.Sc. on account of his possessions. Hence naturally he is annoyed, just as if they had preferred his possessions to himself as being inferior; and they complain, for now they look to find in him the good man, having previously looked for the pleasant or the useful man.
