Final answer:
You are in a 'particularist' relationship with your friend if your friendship goes beyond surface-level interactions, focusing on virtuous development and mutual well-being, much like Aristotle's concept of a perfect friendship based on the goodness of one's character and the happiness shared between friends.
Step-by-step explanation:
When you say you and your friend are in a 'particularist' relationship, you are referencing a concept from Aristotelian philosophy that describes a perfect friendship based on virtue and good character. This type of relationship is characterized by a mutual recognition of the other as an extension of oneself, where the happiness and moral development of each person is intertwined and each person wishes well for the other purely for their sake. Unlike incidental friendships, which are grounded in utility or pleasure, a particularist relationship with a friend focuses on fostering virtuous development and mutually contributing to each other's happiness.
Aristotle suggests that this form of friendship allows individuals to contemplate worthy actions that are both their own and their friend's, by virtue of seeing their friend as an another self. This deep investment in the other's wellbeing and moral growth is what defines a true or perfect friendship, with Aristotle considering true friends a significant external good in a flourishing life. Therefore, saying that you are in such a relationship implies that your connection goes beyond surface-level interactions and is deeply rooted in shared values and mutual growth.