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2. Philia: Love of the mind

Also known as brotherly love, Philia represents the sincere and platonic love. The kind of love you have for your brother or a really good friend. It was more
valuable and more cherished than Eros. Philia exists when people share the same values and dispositions with someone and the feelings are reciprocated. The
hallmark of philia, or friendship, is shared goodwill. Aristotle believed that a person can bear goodwill to another for one of three reasons: that he is useful;
that he is pleasant; and, above all, that he is good, that is, rational and virtuous. Friendships founded on goodness are associated not only with mutual benefit
but also with companionship, dependability, and trust.

For Plato, the best kind of friendship is that which lovers have for each other. It is a philia born out of Eros, and that in turn feeds back into Eros to strengthen
and develop it, transforming it from a lust for possession into a shared desire for a higher level of understanding of the self, the other, and the world. In short,
philia transforms Eros from a lust for possession into an impulse for philosophy. Real friends seek together to live truer, fuller lives by relating to each other
authentically and teaching each other about the limitations of their beliefs and the defects in their character, which are a far greater source of error than mere
rational confusion: they are, in effect, each other’s therapist—and in that much it helps to find a friend with some degree of openness, articulacy, and insight,
both to change and to be changed.

Philia ia shared experience. The love we feel for people we strive with, to achieve a shared goal – our co-workers, the players in a football or netball team,
the soldiers in an army. The Greeks defined this kind of love as “affectionate love.” In other words, it is the kind of love that you feel for your friends.
Ironically, the ancient Greeks thought this kind of love was better than Eros (sexual love), because it represented love between people who considered
themselves equals.

While a lot of people associate the word “love” with romance, Plato always argued that physical attraction wasn’t necessary for love. Hence, why there are
many different types of love. This type in particular, is often referred to as “platonic” love – love without sexual acts. Philea love refers to an affectionate,
warm and tender platonic love. It makes you desire friendship with someone. It’s the kind of love which livens up the Agape love. Although you may have
an agape love for your enemies, you may not have a Philea love for the same people. The translation of the word Philea is love in the noun – form: it is how
you feel about someone. It is a committed and chosen love.

Example of Philia love: Two friends talk about how deeply they understand each other, and how that security and openness causes them to feel
comfortable and taken care of.

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