Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics is one of the best books ever written, and this highlight of Hillsdale College’s online course on the subject shows why. We invite you to explore the full course here: https://online.hillsdale.edu/landing/aristotles-ethics | Hillsdale College

In Book IX of the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle explores a question that remains psychologically urgent today: Can a person be a friend to themselves? He treats this as a foundation for ethics and community. For Aristotle, friendship is built on shared values, reciprocal goodwill, and the capacity to rejoice or grieve together. These qualities must be present not only between individuals, but within a single soul. A person at war with themselves cannot give stability to others. Self-fragmentatio