Philosophical and Psychological Theories of Love

love

Studies of love have been surprisingly few and far between. Most of the accounts deal with personal relationships, and rarely demonstrate any conceptual connections between the different aspects of love. However, a handful of theories exist that attempt to explain the various qualities of love. Several of these can be classified into two main categories: philosophical and psychological. These types of theories have some similarities with each other, and each has some shortcomings. Listed below are some of the major differences between these types of theories and their respective approaches to love.

Erotic and romantic love both emphasize physical attraction and engaging in sex and a relationship based purely on erotic pleasure. This type of love is typically short-lived, as the advocates of this style of love often do not feel compelled to commit and are comfortable ending a relationship. Storge love is considered a more mature form of love that emphasizes a person’s similar interests and open affection, rather than focusing on physical attractiveness. This type of love involves a mutual feeling of trust and acceptance, and is not dependent on others.

In the classical world, erotic love is the most intense type of love and is characterized by intense physical attraction. It also tends to be a game-like relationship, with advocates not committing and often feeling comfortable ending their relationships. The next type of romantic love is called storge. This type of love is characterized by a deeper bond with the partner, based on common interests, open affection, and not on physical attractiveness.

Storge and erotic love are different, with the former focusing more on physical attraction and sex. While the former tends to be a more youthful form of love, storge is more mature and focused on sharing the same interests and experiences. Unlike erotic love, storge-lovers are not likely to commit and are comfortable ending relationships. Moreover, people who practice storge love are not prone to being needy or dependent.

While erotic love is based on physical attraction, storge-love focuses on open affection. While erotic love involves intense physical contact, it is not considered to be a mature form of love. For example, the second type is a more serious affair. In storge-love, the two lovers do not have a romantic relationship, but they are still inseparable. But in erotic-love, the partners do not share emotions and do not make decisions based on emotions.

The meaning of love differs from culture to culture. Its roots are in Greek and Hebrew, and it is a common word for a deep, personal connection. In Greek, it is referred to as “agape,” which means “unconditional”, and it refers to unconditional love. Hence, the term erotic-love is a passion based on sexual desire. Similarly, storge-love is a feeling of intense intimacy and emotional distance.