Q0385
“Friendship cannot exist except among the good.” — Cicero (Laelius on Friendship (related))
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Laelius on Friendship (related). Theme: virtue.
English
Friendship cannot exist except among the good.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Laelius on Friendship (related) and files it under Stoicism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 BCE) was Rome’s greatest orator and a statesman who transmitted Greek philosophy into Latin prose. Caught in the Republic’s death throes, he opposed Caesar’s assassins’ enemies and was killed in the proscriptions.
How to read this passage
Virtue ethics asks not only which acts are right, but what kind of person one becomes. Courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom are classic Western lists; Confucian ren and yi offer related but distinct vocabularies. This passage enters that discussion through virtue.
Concepts in this quote
- Virtue
- Virtue names excellences of character—habits of perception and action oriented toward the good.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Cicero. (n.d.). Friendship cannot exist except among the good. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0385
MLA: Cicero. “Friendship cannot exist except among the good..” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0385.
Chicago: Cicero. “Friendship cannot exist except among the good..” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0385.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Friendship cannot exist except among the good.”?
The passage is attributed to Cicero, Laelius on Friendship (related). The archive attributes this English wording to Laelius on Friendship (related) and files it under Stoicism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Cicero mean by virtue?
Virtue ethics asks not only which acts are right, but what kind of person one becomes. Courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom are classic Western lists; Confucian ren and yi offer related but distinct vocabularies. This passage enters that discussion through virtue.