The Partially Examined Life Philosophy Podcast Ep. 365: Scheler on Love (Part One)
Apr 21, 2025
This discussion dives into Max Scheler's views on love and ethics, emphasizing that love is a powerful force that helps individuals realize their potential. The hosts unpack the differences between deep emotional connections and superficial feelings, advocating for a personal approach to love. They debunk societal norms around romance, insisting that true love recognizes individuality. The conversation also touches on the roles of paternal and maternal love, emphasizing how each influences one's sense of personhood and identity.
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Love as a Primitive Movement
- Love is a primitive, spontaneous movement from lower to higher values, not an apprehension of value.
- Scheler sees love as beyond rational evaluation, an emotional response foundational to ethics and value.
Love Enables Highest Potential
- Love functions as a dynamic act that enables the beloved to realize their highest potential.
- It is not a reaction to qualities but an enabling relationship between individuals.
Personality as a Unity of Substance
- Personality is a unity of substance, eluding analysis and cannot be objectified or fully known.
- Love connects us to this non-objectifiable individuality, which is distinct from physical body or soul.
