The Quality That Separates Humans from Other Beings

The Quality That Separates Humans from Other Beings

  • Submitted By: GBOX4050
  • Date Submitted: 03/08/2010 11:36 AM
  • Category: Philosophy
  • Words: 1729
  • Page: 7
  • Views: 618

Philosophy Culminating Task
Final Draft
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
By: Geoffrey R. Box
HZT4U0
February 15, 2010
One quality that separates humans from other beings is that of emotion [1], and the ability to rationalize [2] between our thoughts and emotions. The border between emotion and rationalized thought is one that has many different philosophical view points. This border corresponds with many terms used by philosophers, modern and historical, such as happiness, anger, lust and love. The term love [3] has been generally seen by individuals as an emotion, one that is blind to all that is rational and can be unforeseen and unstoppable. However, love is not an illogical passion, it is a rational objective [4] in which there is an object to be obtained by the individual. Plato defines love as beautiful [5], and the desire [6] for the beautiful to become your own. Therefore, individuals may love another based on what they consider desirable. This often encompasses convenience, status, personality and aesthetic appeal. Humans consciously may choose whom to love, based on their personal criteria. Therefore, an individual who prizes aesthetic value will not love someone who is not aesthetically pleasing to them, unless what they truly want to obtain is something different from themselves. However, convenience is a critical value in all love. Even if two individuals are complementary (they each have qualities the other searches for) they will not love each other if they cannot meet (their location is inconvenient) and therefore, they will never love one another. That being stated, there may be more than one person who an individual may love, as there may be many (or perhaps few, but doubtful that there would be only one) who fit one individual's criterion. The object in love is to ultimately reach happiness [7] for oneself. In finding another individual with all one's criterion satisfied, one may be able to achieve happiness for oneself and vice...

Similar Essays