Session 2 | 24.261 Philosophy of Love in the Western World

Same-sex marriage, Freud's theories on bisexuality and homosexuality, cultural stereotypes, what constitutes a family, falling/being/staying in love

View the complete course at: http://ocw.mit.edu/24-261F04

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Category:

Education

Tags:

• mit
• opencourseware
• philosophy
• love
• marriage
• romance

[Ironbudokan]

Irving Singer is the professor. This isn't a bad series. The students aren't particularly engaging, though.

[creativekitty14]

interesting. :) i'm glad MIT encourages the concept of opencourseware.

[Grendel938]

The laughing in the background... Why? Why?

[ktblooz]

What philosophy would tell me it was wrong if your spouse decided and I decided to marry and divorce you? You can only think about it, blame, call a fault that has no eternal consequences on earth so what does it matter?  After-all, there is no determinative proof. This is the problem with moral relativism. It has no bounds outside societal or individualistic subjugation.

[ktblooz]

Wonder what you would think of the Constitution of the USA. ALL men (and women) are created EQUAL. Now is that the truth or subjectivism? I have always found that if you can think of it--it was around long ago--nothing new under the sun right? Opps...the Bible just said the same. What does philosophy have to offer me--now I am being subjective....We are all philosophers if we are alive...we do value or own thoughts and feelings but what gives me the right to do so and what can correct me?

[jmrail]

@Vspears it is amazing to me the time spent on legal issues.even more amazing is the seperation of state and religion isnt understood.could not the prof say this is not a course on law

[Vspears]

these people are talking about what is primarily a legal issue and they are only focusing on the rights of the same sex couple rather than the rights of other persons that will be effected. Society has to prioritize rights, it does so every day to keep order and to promote its most valued priorities first. This is philosophy with a very narrow and non-systematic approach I think its bunk.

[no2body3home]

Understanding the concept of "merging" depends on how literal you try to explain it. Does he mean spiritually or bodily? Of course the bodies cannot merge. But people often feel their spirits have merged when they fall in love. Love all comes down to the parameters that are set in defining it.

[gtq838]

I have my opinions but I would have liked to seen actual debate about this subject verses just stating the obvious... that being said I only watch the first half an hour because it was so boring... back to my physics lectures...

[thewiffenpoof]

who's the professor?

[jculver2]

Ha, he asked for the students to start the dialogue. When no one spoke up he decided to droll on ad nauseum. This class seems like the type of forum where a healthy dialogue would benefit the students most. I might have to drop this one.