The word ‘love’ originated from the Old English word ‘lufu’ meaning ‘to desire’ and the Latin word ‘lumber meaning ‘to please.’ Love is generally defined by the Dictionary as ‘a strong liking’ or ‘a passionate affection for another person (Windgassen).
Love is an intricate part of human nature, one that is indispensable in our lives and one that makes our lives worth living). It spawns varying feelings in individuals; different individuals experience love in varying fashions due to which love is difficult to define. The best definition of love is one passed on by the Greeks more than 2,500 years ago. It classifies love into 4 types – Eros, Filial, Caritas, and Agape (Windgassen).
Eros is love associated with eroticism. It exists between couples and also includes the sexual feelings individuals experience towards their own bodies when they lack a partner or spouse. Totally self-serving in nature, it is a desire linked with sexuality and powered by basic carnal lust and an inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli while lacking the balancing swaying power of reason and experience. It is not immoral , but a basic, necessary, crucial, and healthy feeling that requires recognition and expression within the scope of relationship, sincerity, self-love, and mutuality. Eros is considered the most problematic type of love because individuals frequently struggle to love themselves as well as others with moral soundness as well as intimacy (Windgassen).
Filial is love associated with family. It is founded on blood relationships. As compared to Eros, Philial contains greater virtue because it is not self-serving but moves beyond one’s self, and it is not driven by instinct. Phil’s distinctive characteristics are that it has a restricted scope and that it is powered by a commitment to those relatives (Windgassen).
Caritas is love for all humanity. It desires only what is good for another person or a group of people irrespective of whether the person/s are acquaintances or not. Caritas is similar to Philial in that it is selfless, but it is different due to its wider scope, encompassing people in the family, workplace, and in all other areas of contact (Windgassen). Mother Teresa’s life and work are one of the best exponents of Caritas; it made others feel, in the words of C.S. Lewis: “We love to know we are not alone” (Wisdomquotes.com).
Agape is love for the universe (Windgassen), well explained by Victor Hugo’s quote: “Life is the flower for which love is the honey” (Wisdomqutoes.com). Agape desires what is good for all humanity as well as all living beings and the very earth itself. It is the greatest level of love that manifests itself as boundless love without possessiveness and self-interest. Agape is similar to Caritas and Philial in that it is selfless but different from both as it has the widest scope of all types of love – due to which it is very rare for people to practice it (Windgassen).
References
- “Love Quotes.” Wisdomquotes.com. 2006. Web.
- Windgassen, Diana. “What is the Meaning of Love?” Associated Content, Inc. 2006. Web.