Philia

φιλία

fee-LEE-ah

Intermediate

Deep friendship rooted in mutual recognition of virtue and commitment to each other's flourishing. For Aristotle, philia was essential to eudaimonia, not optional, representing the highest form of human connection beyond mere utility or pleasure.

Modern Application

You cannot flourish in isolation. Philia demands that you choose friends for character, not convenience, and then trust them completely. The capacity for this kind of deep connection is both a virtue to develop and a gift to give. Your inability to form or maintain such bonds reveals something about your own character.

Related Concepts

Eudaimonia Pistis Koinonia Arete

Articles Exploring Philia (1)

January 26, 2026

Excellence Leadership

Your Friends Aren't Your Weakness. Your Inability to Trust Them Is.

Greene's second law of power tells you to distrust friends and hire enemies. The tactical truth is real: friends can betray you. But the solution isn't strategic isolation. It's wisdom about who to let close.

Series Featuring Philia

Power vs. Virtue: The 48 Laws Examined

A year-long examination of Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power through the lens of ancient virtue ethics. Some laws we affirm, some we reframe, some we reject entirely.

View series

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