Rational Love

“You are what you love.”

-Anonymous

Our theories and beliefs regarding love are, by far, one of the most important things about us. As ideas are important because of their consequences, so the idea of love is dramatically important because of the dramatic consequences it inevitably brings.

What is love? Is love “romantic”, where people “click” for random reasons? Is there any coherent reasoning behind the madness?Culture seems to imply that there is no rational basis for the causes of love. I disrespectfully disagree. Romantic attraction is rational, revealing, reflects what people actually think about themselves, deep down inside their psyche.

What is love?

What is love? In a fundamental sense, to love something is to value it. I place an infinite value on liberty, hence I call myself a lover of liberty. I place infinite value on justice, hence I call myself a lover of justice. To love is to value.

Romantic love is of the same brand, and is caused by specific paradigms that one holds, whether conscious of them or not. Romantic love is simply the physical desire for what one believes to be good. After all, the idea is based upon desire, and desire upon a pre-established philosophy regarding what ought to have value — what has virtue.

Cause of attraction

Romantic love is the physical desire for a person seen as having virtue, or value. But what is virtue? Virtue, in this instance, is very subjective. It’s not subjective to the situation, but subjective to the person who’s attraction is in question. If I love courage, then seeing it in a potential partner would be attractive. If I love liberty, then seeing a similar love of liberty in a potential partner would be attractive. However, if I despised cowardice, then seeing it in a potential partner would be a great turn-off. Romance is the indicator of the philosophies of man.

Filed under: Philosophy