Brotherly Philia

Brotherly philia encompasses a wide spectrum of relationships, ranging from the biological bond of simply sharing the same blood to what contemporary Western culture identifies as friendship. It is discussed in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and Eudemian Ethics , as well as in the Politics , the Rhetoric , and the Poetics . However, it never commands Aristotle's full attention. It is defined without reference to the well-known tripartite distinction between perfect friendship and those based on utility or pleasure. This line of thought guides this chapter's investigation into the mechanics and complexities of brotherly philia , drawing on material ranging from ancient Greek tragedies (namely, Aeschylus’ Seven against Thebes and Euripides’ The Phoenician Women ) and Plutarch's On Brotherly Philia to Andrey Zvyagintsev's film The Return (2003).