ABSTRACT
Moral theories demand that agents act in certain ways; and the demands of a given moral theory may of course conflict with the other demands and reasons which press on a moral agent and which arise from various sources. The conflict is of the following sort: an agent whose life is governed by an agent-neutral moral theory will be unable to be a friend, to participate in friendships, or to enjoy many of the goods and values associated with friendship. Friendship also, of course, involves certain sorts of feeling—typically, feelings of love, affection, intimacy, and respect. But because a friendship must be a mutually recognized relation, it is essential that one not only feel a certain way about one’s friends, but also that one acts so as to express those feelings. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
