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FOR THE SAKE OF LOVE 8/3/2006 9:34:50 AM
Does love exist scientifically speaking?
So where does this leave the American atheists now? Are they going to use the same laughable argument that they have used to deny the existence of ‘mind’ to deny the existence of ‘love’?
Love has many meanings in English, from something that gives a little pleasure (‘I loved that movie’), to something one would die for (patriotism, pair bonding), to have a deep, tender, ineffable feeling of affection and solicitude toward something or somebody (‘God is love’). It can describe an intense feeling of affection, an emotion, or an emotional state. In ordinary use, it usually refers to interpersonal love (‘I love you’) or even unadulterated lust. Probably due to its large psychological relevance, love is one of the most common themes in art, but it is not a relevant concept in science. In physical science it does not exist at all.
The majority of modern movies have a love story and most pop music is about love. Love is central to most people’s maps of reality, but then again, it does not occur on scientific maps at all – it is a scientific nonentity. The ancient Greeks had four different words we translate as love. It is important to understand the difference between the words:
• agapê (love or charity) and words derived from it
• philia (friendship or love) and words derived from it
• storgê (natural affection), and astorgos (lacking natural affection)
• eros (attraction or sexual love)
However, how do we proof scientifically that you love animals (you are a zoophile), that you love wisdom (philosophy), or for that matter that you are a fetid paedophile?
