“Amicus Plato; that is, DINAH was my aunt; —sed magis amica veritas—but Truth is my sister,” (pages 53-54) is said by Tristram’s father to Uncle Toby in regards to the “Shandy Family Scandal.” In this short excerpt, the phrase “Amicus Plato sed magis amica veritas,” stood out the most. This phrase is of Latin root, and when it is translated it means “Plato is my friend, but truth is a better friend.” Aristotle’s great work called Nicomachean Ethics is the root of the creation of this phrase. In Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle discusses the concepts of ethics and, in direct relation to this statement, the ethics of friendship. Aristotle elaborates on what qualities a good friend has and how it should benefit the two in that friendship. However he makes a statement that he would “rather be in accord with the truth than with the friendship with our master, Plato.” Many other great writers took his saying and tried to make some sense of it. Thomas Aquinas is one person who goes into great depths defining this controversial phrase. He suggests, “Although we should have friendship for both truth and our fellow man, we ought rather to love truth because we should love our fellow man especially on account of truth and virtue.

To get a better understanding of this phrase, we could apply this definition back to the text “The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman.” Great-aunt Dinah made her famous entrance in Volume 1 and Volume 2 in which she is the foundation of embarrassment and disgrace for the Shandy Family. She is this foundation because of her decision to marry a coachman and for having a child very late in her life. When Walter states “Dinah was my aunt; but truth is my sister,” it could mean that although he does not agree to her bringing shame to the family in that manner, it is the truth behind it that prevails. This overall can help us understand Walters characteristics better because it moves I sync with Tristram’s painting of a “speculative,” “systematic,” philosopher in grain.