Philosophy of Love

Use this forum to discuss the August 2022 Philosophy Book of the Month, Living in Color: A Love Story, In Sickness and in Health by Mike Murphy
Post Reply
User avatar
Sushan
Book of the Month Discussion Leader
Posts: 2221
Joined: February 19th, 2021, 8:12 pm
Contact:

Philosophy of Love

Post by Sushan »

This topic is about the August 2022 Philosophy Book of the Month, Living in Color: A Love Story, In Sickness and in Health by Mike Murphy


...love is the only thing that really matters.
(Location 94 - Kindle version)

This quote is frequently found in romance related literature. People (including philosophers) have said and say many things about love. But philosophically speaking, what exactly is love? And what exactly is its role in human lives? Is it the only thing that really matters, as suggested by the above quote?
“There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers”

– William James
stevie
Posts: 762
Joined: July 19th, 2021, 11:08 am

Re: Philosophy of Love

Post by stevie »

Sushan wrote: August 5th, 2022, 12:44 pm This topic is about the August 2022 Philosophy Book of the Month, Living in Color: A Love Story, In Sickness and in Health by Mike Murphy


...love is the only thing that really matters.
(Location 94 - Kindle version)

This quote is frequently found in romance related literature. People (including philosophers) have said and say many things about love.
That's true. E.g. christians may say that although love is essential and indispensable it is not "the only thing that really matters" because at least faith is equally important.
Sushan wrote: August 5th, 2022, 12:44 pm But philosophically speaking, what exactly is love?
:lol: "philosophically speaking"?

Sushan wrote: August 5th, 2022, 12:44 pm And what exactly is its role in human lives?
Honestly I don't know. I think the word "love" is one of these words that inspires many associations and thoughts depending on cultural conditioning and individual life situation but of which there is no evident basis.
Sushan wrote: August 5th, 2022, 12:44 pm Is it the only thing that really matters, as suggested by the above quote?
Not according to christians, s.above. And for many materialists and our culture money is more important.
mankind ... must act and reason and believe; though they are not able, by their most diligent enquiry, to satisfy themselves concerning the foundation of these operations, or to remove the objections, which may be raised against them [Hume]
Gee
Posts: 667
Joined: December 28th, 2012, 2:41 am
Location: Michigan, US

Re: Philosophy of Love

Post by Gee »

Sushan wrote: August 5th, 2022, 12:44 pm This topic is about the August 2022 Philosophy Book of the Month, Living in Color: A Love Story, In Sickness and in Health by Mike Murphy


...love is the only thing that really matters.
(Location 94 - Kindle version)

But philosophically speaking, what exactly is love?
It is bonding, connection, the glue that holds consciousness and life together. Of course, hate does the same thing, but hate does it in a way that is destructive, damaging, so love is better.

Gee
User avatar
Angelo Cannata
Posts: 182
Joined: April 17th, 2021, 10:02 am
Favorite Philosopher: Heidegger
Location: Cambridge, UK
Contact:

Re: Philosophy of Love

Post by Angelo Cannata »

Sushan wrote: August 5th, 2022, 12:44 pm what exactly is love? And what exactly...
You will never understand love if you approach it with such a mentality of "exactly". "Exactly" is good for math, science, analysis. If somebody tells you "2+2=4", you can answer "What does exactly mean 4?": that's ok. If somebody tells you "I love you", answering "What does exactly love mean?" means that you are not connected with your heart.
User avatar
Sushan
Book of the Month Discussion Leader
Posts: 2221
Joined: February 19th, 2021, 8:12 pm
Contact:

Re: Philosophy of Love

Post by Sushan »

stevie wrote: August 5th, 2022, 1:41 pm
Sushan wrote: August 5th, 2022, 12:44 pm This topic is about the August 2022 Philosophy Book of the Month, Living in Color: A Love Story, In Sickness and in Health by Mike Murphy


...love is the only thing that really matters.
(Location 94 - Kindle version)

This quote is frequently found in romance related literature. People (including philosophers) have said and say many things about love.
That's true. E.g. christians may say that although love is essential and indispensable it is not "the only thing that really matters" because at least faith is equally important.
Sushan wrote: August 5th, 2022, 12:44 pm But philosophically speaking, what exactly is love?
:lol: "philosophically speaking"?

Sushan wrote: August 5th, 2022, 12:44 pm And what exactly is its role in human lives?
Honestly I don't know. I think the word "love" is one of these words that inspires many associations and thoughts depending on cultural conditioning and individual life situation but of which there is no evident basis.
Sushan wrote: August 5th, 2022, 12:44 pm Is it the only thing that really matters, as suggested by the above quote?
Not according to christians, s.above. And for many materialists and our culture money is more important.
Well, we see different things as most important things to our lives in various time periods of our lives. This can be influenced by religious matters as well. So, yes, for some love can be the only thing that matters.

I think we need a clear definition for 'love', and then we may be able to think about its role in human lives.
“There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers”

– William James
User avatar
Sushan
Book of the Month Discussion Leader
Posts: 2221
Joined: February 19th, 2021, 8:12 pm
Contact:

Re: Philosophy of Love

Post by Sushan »

Gee wrote: August 5th, 2022, 6:35 pm
Sushan wrote: August 5th, 2022, 12:44 pm This topic is about the August 2022 Philosophy Book of the Month, Living in Color: A Love Story, In Sickness and in Health by Mike Murphy


...love is the only thing that really matters.
(Location 94 - Kindle version)

But philosophically speaking, what exactly is love?
It is bonding, connection, the glue that holds consciousness and life together. Of course, hate does the same thing, but hate does it in a way that is destructive, damaging, so love is better.

Gee
I think that is somewhat similar to what Plato said about love. He highlighted the psychological component rather than the physical component. But how does it actually hold consciousness and life together?
“There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers”

– William James
User avatar
Sushan
Book of the Month Discussion Leader
Posts: 2221
Joined: February 19th, 2021, 8:12 pm
Contact:

Re: Philosophy of Love

Post by Sushan »

Angelo Cannata wrote: August 6th, 2022, 2:12 am
Sushan wrote: August 5th, 2022, 12:44 pm what exactly is love? And what exactly...
You will never understand love if you approach it with such a mentality of "exactly". "Exactly" is good for math, science, analysis. If somebody tells you "2+2=4", you can answer "What does exactly mean 4?": that's ok. If somebody tells you "I love you", answering "What does exactly love mean?" means that you are not connected with your heart.
Then how can we avoid misunderstandings? We say "I love you" to various people with various meanings. But if the receiving end cannot understand what it 'exactly' means, then there can be trouble more than benefits.
“There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers”

– William James
User avatar
Angelo Cannata
Posts: 182
Joined: April 17th, 2021, 10:02 am
Favorite Philosopher: Heidegger
Location: Cambridge, UK
Contact:

Re: Philosophy of Love

Post by Angelo Cannata »

I agree, renouncing to a mentality of exactness exposes the speakers to a lot of misunderstanding, but this is the necessary price to pay to get access to the most complex aspects of our existence, such as love, poetry, art. Wanting to be exact means reducing our attention to those elements that are easily protected from misunderstanding through strict definitions. But, once you obtained that kind of protection, what happens to all other elements that cannot be protected because they are too complex? Shall we exclude them from our attention to avoid misunderstanding? Is it ok for philosophy to do this? Should philosophy limit its attention to those things that can be protected from misunderstanding? This seems Wittgenstein's idea when he said "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent". I disagree: when we are unable to speak clearly about something, we can still force the language, by using poetry, paradoxical concepts and even contradictions, in order to try to express the inexpressible. In this case, protection from misunderstanding can be obtained by simply keeping in mind that exact understanding doesn't actually exist at all. This means that Wittgenstein didn't realize that, according to his rule, we actually should never talk about anything, and he forgot to practice something that is very normal in philosophy: applying rules to themselves. According to his rule, Wittgenstein shouldn't have expressed that rule: it is itself the first breaking of itself. Philosophy is not maths, and even maths is far from being immune from misunderstanding.
User avatar
Sushan
Book of the Month Discussion Leader
Posts: 2221
Joined: February 19th, 2021, 8:12 pm
Contact:

Re: Philosophy of Love

Post by Sushan »

Angelo Cannata wrote: August 16th, 2022, 1:49 pm I agree, renouncing to a mentality of exactness exposes the speakers to a lot of misunderstanding, but this is the necessary price to pay to get access to the most complex aspects of our existence, such as love, poetry, art. Wanting to be exact means reducing our attention to those elements that are easily protected from misunderstanding through strict definitions. But, once you obtained that kind of protection, what happens to all other elements that cannot be protected because they are too complex? Shall we exclude them from our attention to avoid misunderstanding? Is it ok for philosophy to do this? Should philosophy limit its attention to those things that can be protected from misunderstanding? This seems Wittgenstein's idea when he said "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent". I disagree: when we are unable to speak clearly about something, we can still force the language, by using poetry, paradoxical concepts and even contradictions, in order to try to express the inexpressible. In this case, protection from misunderstanding can be obtained by simply keeping in mind that exact understanding doesn't actually exist at all. This means that Wittgenstein didn't realize that, according to his rule, we actually should never talk about anything, and he forgot to practice something that is very normal in philosophy: applying rules to themselves. According to his rule, Wittgenstein shouldn't have expressed that rule: it is itself the first breaking of itself. Philosophy is not maths, and even maths is far from being immune from misunderstanding.
I think you have a point. We do not discuss about things that we know for sure. When a question has more than one possible answer we tend to try to prove our points. Yes, philosophy can include, as well as cause many misunderstandings. And the paradoxes and contradictions can waste a lot of valuable time. It is always a life-choice either to argue and waste time (sometimes we may find the correct answer) or to respect Wittgenstein and remain silent.
“There is only one thing a philosopher can be relied upon to do, and that is to contradict other philosophers”

– William James
Post Reply

Return to “Living in Color: A Love Story, In Sickness and in Health by Mike Murphy”

2023/2024 Philosophy Books of the Month

Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise

Entanglement - Quantum and Otherwise
by John K Danenbarger
January 2023

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul

Mark Victor Hansen, Relentless: Wisdom Behind the Incomparable Chicken Soup for the Soul
by Mitzi Perdue
February 2023

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness

Rediscovering the Wisdom of Human Nature: How Civilization Destroys Happiness
by Chet Shupe
March 2023

The Unfakeable Code®

The Unfakeable Code®
by Tony Jeton Selimi
April 2023

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are

The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are
by Alan Watts
May 2023

Killing Abel

Killing Abel
by Michael Tieman
June 2023

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead

Reconfigurement: Reconfiguring Your Life at Any Stage and Planning Ahead
by E. Alan Fleischauer
July 2023

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough

First Survivor: The Impossible Childhood Cancer Breakthrough
by Mark Unger
August 2023

Predictably Irrational

Predictably Irrational
by Dan Ariely
September 2023

Artwords

Artwords
by Beatriz M. Robles
November 2023

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope

Fireproof Happiness: Extinguishing Anxiety & Igniting Hope
by Dr. Randy Ross
December 2023

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes

Beyond the Golden Door: Seeing the American Dream Through an Immigrant's Eyes
by Ali Master
February 2024

2022 Philosophy Books of the Month

Emotional Intelligence At Work

Emotional Intelligence At Work
by Richard M Contino & Penelope J Holt
January 2022

Free Will, Do You Have It?

Free Will, Do You Have It?
by Albertus Kral
February 2022

My Enemy in Vietnam

My Enemy in Vietnam
by Billy Springer
March 2022

2X2 on the Ark

2X2 on the Ark
by Mary J Giuffra, PhD
April 2022

The Maestro Monologue

The Maestro Monologue
by Rob White
May 2022

What Makes America Great

What Makes America Great
by Bob Dowell
June 2022

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!

The Truth Is Beyond Belief!
by Jerry Durr
July 2022

Living in Color

Living in Color
by Mike Murphy
August 2022 (tentative)

The Not So Great American Novel

The Not So Great American Novel
by James E Doucette
September 2022

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches

Mary Jane Whiteley Coggeshall, Hicksite Quaker, Iowa/National Suffragette And Her Speeches
by John N. (Jake) Ferris
October 2022

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All

In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All
by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
November 2022

The Smartest Person in the Room: The Root Cause and New Solution for Cybersecurity

The Smartest Person in the Room
by Christian Espinosa
December 2022

2021 Philosophy Books of the Month

The Biblical Clock: The Untold Secrets Linking the Universe and Humanity with God's Plan

The Biblical Clock
by Daniel Friedmann
March 2021

Wilderness Cry: A Scientific and Philosophical Approach to Understanding God and the Universe

Wilderness Cry
by Dr. Hilary L Hunt M.D.
April 2021

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute: Tools To Spark Your Dream And Ignite Your Follow-Through

Fear Not, Dream Big, & Execute
by Jeff Meyer
May 2021

Surviving the Business of Healthcare: Knowledge is Power

Surviving the Business of Healthcare
by Barbara Galutia Regis M.S. PA-C
June 2021

Winning the War on Cancer: The Epic Journey Towards a Natural Cure

Winning the War on Cancer
by Sylvie Beljanski
July 2021

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream

Defining Moments of a Free Man from a Black Stream
by Dr Frank L Douglas
August 2021

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts

If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your Buts
by Mark L. Wdowiak
September 2021

The Preppers Medical Handbook

The Preppers Medical Handbook
by Dr. William W Forgey M.D.
October 2021

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress: A Practical Guide

Natural Relief for Anxiety and Stress
by Dr. Gustavo Kinrys, MD
November 2021

Dream For Peace: An Ambassador Memoir

Dream For Peace
by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah
December 2021