Michael Oakeshott writes, “A friend is somebody who engages the imagination, who excites contemplation, who provokes interest, sympathy, delight, and loyalty simply on account of the relationship entered into.” Friendship is not based on proper behavior or meeting certain expectations. It’s beyond that. Friendship is useless. It’s not about achieving certain things in light of that friendship or using the friend a certain way. As Oakeshott put it, it’s a relationship that’s dramatic, not utilitarian. And so I think if that’s your approach, it opens up space for not reducing the people you may or may not be friends with to their political views.

On the PloughCast, Matthew Sitman and Sohrab Ahmari discuss the possibility of making friends with political enemies.