ABSTRACT
Friendship is not only a source of motivation. Of course a friend is moved to do certain things that are based in his friendship; but he also takes himself to have reason to do at least some of those things. Note that I say “takes himself to have”; we must leave open the possibility that a person mis-takes his reasons. But for the present I shall assume that at least many of the reasons a friend takes himself to have are genuine. Although based in friendship, these reasons typically make no direct reference to it. If Myra is my friend, then the fact that I haven’t been in touch with her for some time will, in appropriate circumstances, be a reason for my telephoning, or perhaps nowadays emailing, her. That Myra is my friend gives me this reason, but is no part of it. To be sure, were you, not knowing her to be my friend, to ask me “Why are you emailing Myra?” I might reply, “Myra and I are friends and we haven’t been in touch for a while.” But the thought that Myra is my friend would be at least slightly out of place – a mild instance of Bernard Williams’ one thought too many – in any deliberation that led me to telephone her.1 If I need to remind myself (or be reminded) that someone is my friend, then that friendship may be cooling.
