Abstract

The article investigates some Aristotelian claims about the friendship of nonhuman animals in the light of more recent research conducted within the Darwinian paradigm. In the Eudemian Ethics, the Greek philosopher had argued that in other animal species there is a type of friendship aimed at the pursuit of utility, that is, mutual benefit. To test this hypothesis, I propose a survey of primatology studies on the subject, with a focus on the case of chimpanzees (§ 1). I will then (§ 2) consider the symbiosis, that is, a form of interspecific association – temporary or permanent –, such as that between cattle and cleaner birds, or between fish and shrimp. In conclusion (§ 3) I will examine the relationships between humans and domestic animals (dogs), discussing the theses advanced by Barbara Smuts in several papers.