What are the reasons we love one person rather than another, and can love be unjustified?

What is love?

The nature of royal weddings as very public declarations of love can cause us to reflect on love and partnership – and on 29th April 2011 when Prince William and Kate Middleton tied the knot, the royal couple took a vow that declared a commitment to love and cherish ‘til death do us part’. But what is ‘love’? What is it that makes us fall in love with someone and can we put a meaning on it? We’ve all experienced love, whether it is a friend, partner, family member, or a pet – but these are all very different kinds of love. So how do we define love when it encompasses such a variety of emotions? Carolyn Price, senior lecturer in Philosophy, and Timothy Chappell, director of the Ethics Centre, at The Open University, discuss the nature of love, from love as a function, to ‘the Doppelganger problem’ – should we also love another person with the same traits and qualities as the person we already love? Finally, the notion of love as a duty within marriage is explored.

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What is love?

What is love?

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