Philosophy of Love: Examining Ancient Theory

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers on the philosophy of love, specifically examining claims about ancient philosophers' marital status and the existence of philosophical theories on love. Participants explore historical perspectives and definitions of love, as well as the relevance of these ideas in contemporary discussions.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions the accuracy of claims that no ancient philosophers, aside from Socrates, were married and that there are no proper philosophical theories on love.
  • Another participant cites Aristotle's will, which indicates he wished to be buried next to his wife, suggesting he was married.
  • References to articles from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy are made, indicating that there are philosophical discussions on love.
  • A participant argues that the concept of marriage has evolved over time, implying that historical context is important in evaluating these claims.
  • Erich Fromm's work on love is mentioned as an exception to the claim that there are no proper philosophical theories on love.
  • Another participant recalls Aristotle's discussions on love and friendship, suggesting that his definitions differ from modern interpretations.
  • A humorous remark is made referencing Harlan Ellison's view on love, indicating a more casual perspective on the topic.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express disagreement regarding the initial claims about ancient philosophers and the philosophy of love. Multiple competing views are presented, with no consensus reached on the accuracy of the statements or the existence of philosophical theories on love.

Contextual Notes

Participants note that definitions and concepts of marriage and love have changed over time, which may affect the interpretation of historical philosophers' views.

Harmony
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I don't post this topic under philosophy forums because there's no philosophical discussion involved.

I and my friend often have discussion on some philosophy topic, and he made the following statement.

1. No philosophers in the ancient times, besides Socrates, has get married.
2. There have been no proper philosophy theory on love.

I don't have any background in philosophy, but I doubt his statements. Can anyone verify the accuracy/flaws of the statements?

Thanks in advance.
 
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According to this, Aristotle's will asked that he be buried next to his wife. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy has an article on the philosophy of love, so does the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy here. The theory even has words used by the Greeks who discussed love philosophically.
 
Harmony said:
1. No philosophers in the ancient times, besides Socrates, has get married.
2. There have been no proper philosophy theory on love.
Both statements are false, and AKG has given an exception to each statement.

The concept of marriage is different now that it was 2000+ years ago.

Another exception to 2, is Erich Fromm's work on the subject of Love.

and here's another exception to 2.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/l/love.htm

and yet another
http://depts.washington.edu/ctltstaf/example_portfolios/peterson/pages/88351.html

In fact search Google with "Philosophy of Love" and find many exceptions. :rolleyes:
 
Didn't Aristotle talk about love himself?

He said a true friend (you can argue he meant loved one) was someone you would want to spend many moments with and not go too long without communicating and/or being in the presence of your true friend.

Aristotle himself throws both of those comments in the water.
 
I favour Harlan Ellison's philosophy regarding the matter: "Love Ain't Nothing But Sex Misspelled". :biggrin:
 
Aristotle definitely discussed love, though from what I remember from my Ethics course, his definition of things such as friendship and love were somewhat different from the modern definitions.
 

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