Fair-weather friends? Aristotelian friendship in the present-day

By Jason Metcalfe, Research Associate in the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues School of Education, University of Birmingham July 30th marks the United Nations (UN) ‘International Day of Friendship’. The authors of the UN webpage state that friendship is essential to forming mutual trust and overcoming all of the world’s challenges, disasters, and divisions. … Continue reading “Fair-weather friends? Aristotelian friendship in the present-day”

Can Adversaries Become Friends?

By Nicholas Wheeler, Professor of International Relations Department of Political Science and International Studies, University of Birmingham ‘The past does not have to define the future. Yesterday’s conflict does not have to be tomorrow’s war. As history has proved over and over, adversaries can become friends’. US President Donald Trump spoke these words after his … Continue reading “Can Adversaries Become Friends?”

Friendship in the age of social media: Friend-collectors and well-wishers

By Dr Katy Dineen, Research Fellow Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham What does friendship mean in a world of clicks, likes, emojis and pokes? The idea of a ‘friend’ is becoming increasingly unrecognizable; from a noun denoting some form of sanctuary, sympathy and simpatico to a verb conferring social status (or, … Continue reading “Friendship in the age of social media: Friend-collectors and well-wishers”