Is there such a thing as an ideal friend? What responsibilities do friends have to each other? How can friendship negotiate differences, and what are its limits? To explore these enduring questions, we will read texts that both theorize the nature of friendship and put these theories to the test. As our course material will draw from philosophy and literature, we will also consider how these disciplines each approach the pursuit of knowledge. Authors read may include Aristotle, Cicero, Montaigne, Shakespeare, Austen, and Shelley.