Abstract
In this article, I offer a brief account of some of Kierkegaard’s key concerns about friendship: its “preferential” nature and its being a form of self-love. Kierkegaard’s endorsement of the ancient idea of the friend as “second self” involves a common but misguided assumption: that friendship depends largely upon likeness between friends. This focus obscures a vitally important element, highlighted by the so-called “drawing” view of friendship. Once this is emphasized, we can see a significant aspect - though by no means all - of Kierkegaard’s worry as misplaced. However, the “drawing” view also enables us to begin to see what a “Kierkegaardian” friendship might look like.
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Lippitt, J. Cracking the mirror: on Kierkegaard’s concerns about friendship. Int J Philos Relig 61, 131–150 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-007-9117-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11153-007-9117-x