Abstract
We have searched through the philosophical tradition and other cultural resources to illuminate the perils and promise of friendship. I have had Tom Stoppard’s comments in mind, when, reflecting on the romp that is his play Jumpers in a radio interview, he said:
The area of moral philosophy [is] an open house for the layman, the non-philosopher, the curious human being because most of the questions which preoccupy professional philosophers are only an elevated more technical version of the kind of question which any sentient human being asks himself or herself while burning the toast.
‘The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.’
William Blake
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Further Reading and References
John Stuart Mill’s Autobiography is a Penguin Classic.
Paul Seabright’s book is The Company of Strangers: A Natural History of Economic Life, published by Princeton University Press (2004).
For more on the Socratic way of life though not so much on friendship, Pierre Hadot’s What Is Ancient Philosophy? (Belknap Press, 2004) is a great read.
Copyright information
© 2010 Mark Vernon
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Vernon, M. (2010). Friendship Beyond Self-help. In: The Meaning of Friendship. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-230-27535-5_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-230-27535-5_10
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-0-230-24288-3
Online ISBN: 978-0-230-27535-5
eBook Packages: Palgrave History CollectionHistory (R0)