What is Love? UDLS for 9.30.2011 Ben Humberston

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Motivation(•  Contact'(1997):"Alien"message"from"outer"space"•  Science"vs."faith"•  “Prove"it”"•  Relevant"Clip"

Source"

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Common(Hypothesis ((•  Love"is"some"intangible"thing"that…"

•  Can’t"be"defined"•  Can’t"be"proven"•  Is"unpredictable"

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Common(Hypothesis ((•  Love"is"some"intangible"thing"that…"

•  Can’t"be"defined"•  Can’t"be"proven"•  Is"unpredictable"

4"HOKUM!"Source"

Bene2its(of(Love(•  As"folk"wisdom"has"it…"

•  Happiness"•  Stability"

•  As"science"has"it…"•  Increased"life"expectancy1,"2"

•  10"–"15%"less"likely"to"die"prematurely1"•  Increased"physical"&"mental"health1"

•  Sources:"[1],"[2]" 5"

De2ining(It(•  Wikipedia"sez…!

•  “Love"is"an"emo_on"of"strong"affec_on"and"personal"aaachment.”"

•  “In"philosophical"context,"love"is"a"virtue"represen_ng"all"of"human"kindness,"compassion,"and"affec_on.”"

6"

De2ining(It(•  Wikipedia"sez…!

•  “Love"is"an"emo_on"of"strong"affec_on"and"personal"aaachment.”"

•  “In"philosophical"context,"love"is"a"virtue"represen_ng"all"of"human"kindness,"compassion,"and"affec_on.”"

•  Fun'Wiki'Fact:'“Paraphilia”'is'the'sexual'arousal'to'impersonal'objects'

7"

De2ining(It(•  C."S."Lewis"(author"of"The'Four'Loves)"sez…"

•  We"can"categorize"various"types"of"love…"•  Storge"(affec_on)"•  Phileo"(friendship)"•  Agape"(uncondi_onal"love)"•  Eros"(romance)"

Source"

8"

De2ining(It(•  C."S."Lewis"(author"of"The'Four'Loves)"sez…"

•  We"can"categorize"various"types"of"love…"•  Storge"(affec_on)"•  Phileo"(friendship)"•  Agape"(uncondi_onal"love)"•  Eros"(romance)"

Source"

9"

Proving(It(•  Ac_va_on"areas1,"2"

•  Ventral"tegmental"area"(dopamine"producer)"•  Caudate"nucleus"(dopamine"receptors)"•  Hypothalamus"(lust)"

•  Sources:"[1],"[2]"

Source"

10"

Proving(It(•  Neurochemicals1"

•  Dopamine"(reward)"•  Norepinephrine"(heart"quickening)"•  Serotonin"(obsession)"•  Testosterone"(lust"in"both"sexes)"•  Estrogen"•  Oxytocin"&"vasopressin"(longjterm"aarac_on)"

•  QOTD:"“So"the"brains"of"people"deeply"in"love"do"not"look"like"those"of"people"experiencing"strong"emo_ons,"but"instead"like"those"of"people"snor_ng"coke.”2"

•  Fun"Wiki"Fact:"An_depressants"may"inhibit"your"ability"to"fall"in"love2"

•  Sources:"[1],"[2],"[3]"

Source"

11"

Proving(It(

12"

Source"

Proving(It(•  Psychological"Basis1"

•  Infatua_on:"•  “goaljoriented"behavior”"•  Loss"of"appe_te""•  Sleeplessness"•  Irra_onal"decisions"

Source:"[1]"

Source"

13"

Source"

Predicting(It(•  People"similar"to"us…1"

•  Personality"•  Values"•  Intelligence,"educa_on,"social"class"•  Appearance:"Perret’s"face"morphing"study2"

•  Map"subject’s"face"to"alternate"gender"•  Ask"subject"to"choose"preferred"face"•  Subject"likely"to"choose"own"morphed"face"

•  Similarity"grows"in"importance"as"rela_onship"con_nues1"

•  Sources:"[1],"[2]" 14"

Predicting(It(•  Gender"differences*"

•  Males"are"looking"for…"•  “Reproduc_ve"capacity”1"•  Waist"to"hip"ra_o:"0.72"

•  Females"are"looking"for…"•  Good"“resource"acquisi_on”"skills"($$$)1"•  Intelligence3"•  Mates"that"other"females"went"for4"

•  Sources:"[1],"[2],"[3],"[4]"

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*"Take"this"slide"with"a"grain"of"salt…"chauvinism"&"preconcep_ons"are"rampant"in"this"area" 15"

Predicting(It(•  People"different!from!us…"

•  Wedekind’s"“sweaty"tjshirt”"experiment1"

•  Women"preferred"scent"of"shirts"from"men"w/"differen_ated"immune"systems"from"their"own"

•  QOTD"Runner"up:"“He"decided"to"gather"male"scent"rather"than"female"scent"simply"because"unshaved"armpits"collect"more"odor”2"

•  Gene_c"varia_on"is"a"factor,"even"if"we"don’t"know"it"

•  Sources:"[1],"[2]"

16"

Conclusion(•  Love"is…"

•  Definable"(within"a"limited"scope)"•  Provable"(empirically)"•  Predictable"(but"there’s"always"anomalies…)"

17"

Source"

Conclusion(•  Love"is…"

•  Complex…"•  Literature"on"love"="huge"

18"

Questions?(Comments?(

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