On Friendship (w/ Andy Elrick)

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy.

Should you try to improve your friends or leave them be? Do friendship and politics mix? Is friendship about virtue or delight? In 2023, we were interviewed by Andrew Elrick, now a professor at Marist University, for a documentary podcast he was making about men and friendship. (Two of our favorite topics!) That podcast never came to fruition, but Andy was kind enough to share this audio with us, and now we're sharing it with you: a conversation about friendship — Matt and Sam's in particular — politics, and podcasting. Enjoy!

Further Reading:

Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics, (350 BCE)

Michel de Montaigne , “On Friendship” from The Essays of Michel de Montaigne (1580)

Judith Shklar, “On Political Obligation,” (2019)

Allan Bloom, Love and Friendship (1993)

Michael Oakeshott, “On Being Conservative,” (1956)

Dewey, Democracy and Education (1916)

Andrew Elrick, "Friendship is a Dangerous Thing," Game Stories, Nov 9, 2025.