Aristotle on the Role of Cross-generational Friendship in Young Adult Moral Development

Abstract Building on recent philosophical scholarship in the overlapping domains of friendship and moral development, this paper argues in favour of Aristotelian character friendship as a special mode of interpersonal relationship that uniquely facilitates moral development by relaxing the distinction between friend, mentor, and role model. Taking an interdisciplinary approach that integrates ideas from human development and philosophy, this paper advances a series of interlocking arguments, supported by textual exegesis, which yields a conclusion with significant implications for the ongoing discussion about the role of friendship in moral development. This paper challenges certain assumptions about the nature of Aristotelian character friendship present in the current literature by situating Aristotle’s account of friendship in its broader cultural and historical context. It then develops an alternative picture of Aristotelian character friendship wherein friendships of the kind that promote moral development consist primarily of partnerships between younger and older men.