Material Detail

This video was recorded at MIT 24.261 Philosophy of Love in the Western World - Fall 2004. Singer begins with quotation by Dorothy Parker. Myraida starts presentation on the chapter on sexual love. Singer takes over with a mini-lecture on Greek and Christian concepts of love. Discussion of Saint Augustine. Discussion of love in Judaic tradition. Review of 4 concepts of Greek love; discussion of Saint Thomas Aquinas and Martin Luther. Myraida continues presentation with discussion of sin. Myraida reviews Singer's definition of sexual love as having 3 aspects: the libidinal, the erotic, and the romantic. Singer talks about Freud's theories on the libido, and the distinction between libidinal and the libido. Myraida turns discussion to the erotic. Discussion of the romantic, of monogamy and polygamy. Discussion of chapter on love and society; of relationship between shared values and friendship and love. Student raises question on the relationship between judgment of a person's redeeming values and feelings of love. Singer moves to next chapter on stage theory: peer love as a necessary condition for mature love. Discussion of self-love as a necessary condition for loving others; Nietzsche's idea of the superman. Brief mention of other topics in the chapter on love and society: compassion, love of country, religious love.

Disciplines:

• Humanities  / Philosophy