Ever since Plato explored friendship (philia) in his dialogue Lysis, philosophers have contemplated the meaning of this all-important relationship, how to create it, and why it breaks down. For most of us, life would be inconceivable without the affection and support of friends – those people who recognise us for who we are at a fundamental level and who thereby enable us to flourish. But, as Aristotle observed, there are many kinds of friends, some good, some bad, some merely useful. Friendships are complicated, even contradictory. And though not all friendships are made to last we could hardly go through life without them. Join us for an evening examining the history and nature of this surprisingly strange relationship, with the philosopher Mark Alfano in conversation with ABC Radio National’s Natasha Mitchell, alongside captivating musical contributions from celebrated composer/trumpeter Peter Knight and South Korean vocalist Sunny Kim.