Why do we love? A philosophical inquiry - Skye C. Cleary

Summary

This script explores the multifaceted nature of romantic love through the lens of various philosophers. Plato suggests love seeks to make us whole, while Schopenhauer views it as a biological trick for procreation. Bertrand Russell sees love as an escape from loneliness, and Buddha as a source of suffering due to desire. Simone de Beauvoir offers a positive perspective, advocating for love as a meaningful integration with another. The script ponders whether love is essential or merely an illusion, ultimately leaving viewers to decide if they dare to embark on its emotional journey.

Takeaways

• 💞 Romantic love is seen as both beautiful and heart-wrenching, often experienced simultaneously.
• 🤔 The purpose of romantic love remains a mystery with no definitive scientific or psychological explanation.
• 📚 Historical philosophers have offered various theories on the nature and purpose of love, suggesting it serves different functions.
• 🧩 Plato believed that love is a quest to find a soulmate who completes us, as a result of Zeus splitting humans in two.
• 🌬️ Schopenhauer viewed love as an illusion, a trick by nature to encourage procreation, leading to a cycle of human existence.
• 🏠 Bertrand Russell suggested that love is an escape from loneliness, fulfilling our physical and psychological needs.
• 🧘 Buddha considered romantic love to be a source of suffering due to our attachments and desires, proposing a path to overcome them.
• 📖 The novel 'Dream of the Red Chamber' illustrates the tragic consequences of romantic love and attachments, as seen through a subplot.
• 🤝 Simone de Beauvoir proposed that love should be like a great friendship, where lovers support each other in personal growth and enriching life together.
• 🎢 Love is described as an emotional rollercoaster, capable of causing both suffering and elation.
• 🚀 The script encourages embracing the uncertainty of love's purpose and the courage to experience its full range of emotions.

Q & A

What does Plato believe about the purpose of love in his 'Symposium'?

Plato, through the character of Aristophanes, suggests that love is the longing to find a soulmate who will make us feel whole again, as humans were once complete beings but were split in two by Zeus.

According to Arthur Schopenhauer, what is the true nature of love based on sexual desire?

Schopenhauer viewed love based on sexual desire as a voluptuous illusion, a trick by nature to deceive us into procreating, with the loving fusion ultimately realized in our children.

How does Bertrand Russell describe the role of love in overcoming our fear of the world?

Russell posits that love's delight, intimacy, and warmth help us overcome our fear of the world, escape our lonely shells, and engage more abundantly in life.

What is the Buddha's perspective on romantic love and its relation to suffering?

The Buddha proposed that romantic love is an attempt to satisfy base desires, which are defects, and attachments, including love, are a source of suffering. He discovered the eight-fold path to extinguish the fires of desire and reach Nirvana.

How does Cao Xueqin illustrate the Buddhist sentiment about romantic love in 'Dream of the Red Chamber'?

Cao Xueqin illustrates the Buddhist sentiment through the subplot of Jia Rui, who falls in love with Xi-feng, leading to tragic consequences, symbolizing that romantic attachments can lead to suffering and should be avoided.

What does Simone de Beauvoir propose as the essence of love and how can we love better?

De Beauvoir suggests that love is the desire to integrate with another and infuse our lives with meaning. To love better, she advises loving authentically, akin to a great friendship, where lovers support each other in self-discovery and enriching their lives together.

Why might romantic love be considered both an escape and a source of suffering according to the philosophers mentioned?

Romantic love can be seen as an escape from loneliness and a means to overcome fear of the world, as suggested by Russell. However, it can also be a source of suffering, as the Buddha and Schopenhauer imply, due to its potential to lead to attachments and illusions that perpetuate cycles of desire and torment.

What is the significance of the story of humans being split in two by Zeus, as told by Aristophanes in Plato's 'Symposium'?

The story signifies the idea that humans are inherently incomplete and seek love to find their other half, thus achieving a sense of wholeness and completion.

How does the concept of love as an illusion proposed by Schopenhauer differ from Plato's view?

Schopenhauer's view presents love as an illusion created by sexual desire, which is a trick by nature to ensure procreation. In contrast, Plato's view, through Aristophanes, sees love as a quest for reunification with our other half, which is a fundamental part of our being.

What is the eight-fold path mentioned by the Buddha and how does it relate to love?

The eight-fold path is a set of guidelines for ethical conduct, mental discipline, and wisdom that leads to the cessation of suffering and the attainment of Nirvana. It relates to love as it provides a way to overcome the attachments and desires associated with romantic love, which the Buddha considered a source of suffering.

How does Simone de Beauvoir's view on love differ from traditional romantic love?

De Beauvoir's view on love emphasizes authenticity and mutual support in self-discovery, akin to a great friendship, rather than the dependency and captivation often associated with traditional romantic love, which can lead to boredom and power struggles.