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Aristotle

Rhetoric Section 2

Section 603 of 882

Canonical reference 2.4.2

Ancient Greek

ἔστω δὴ τὸ φιλεῖν τὸ βούλεσθαί τινι ἃ οἴεται ἀγαθά, ἐκείνου ἕνεκα ἀλλὰ μὴ αὑτοῦ, καὶ τὸ κατὰ δύναμιν πρακτικὸν εἶναι τούτων. φίλος δέ ἐστιν ὁ φιλῶν καὶ ἀντιφιλούμενος· οἴονται δὲ φίλοι εἶναι οἱ οὕτως ἔχειν οἰόμενοι πρὸς ἀλλήλους.

English

J. H. Freese, 1926

Let loving, then, be defined as wishing for anyone the things which we believe to be good, for his sake but not for our own, and procuring them for him as far as lies in our power. A friend is one who loves and is loved in return, and those who think their relationship is of this character consider themselves friends.

French AI-generated translation, non-official

Codex gpt-5.6-sol · Non-official working translation · 2026-09-13

Définissons donc aimer comme le fait de souhaiter à quelqu’un ce que nous croyons bon, pour lui-même et non pour nous, et de le lui procurer autant qu’il est en notre pouvoir. Est ami celui qui aime et qui est aimé en retour ; et ceux qui pensent que leur relation possède ce caractère se considèrent comme des amis.

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