What is Love?

I've discussed ideas about love before, but in this essay I want to discuss the forms of love. Most people would define love as the sexual kind, but there are other forms.

The ancient Greeks defined the forms of love as Eros, Agape, Philia, Storge, and Xenia.

Eros is the passionate kind of love, in other words it involves sex. This is where the words like erotic came from. It implies love in the physical sense, as in love of body. This is, of course, the kind of love that most people think about.

Agape is a word that modern Greeks use for love, but its real meaning is a pure form of love involving the soul. In some cases it refers to love of God. In the New Testament agape is used for charitable and altruistic acts. It's also related to unconditional love.

Philia is love of family as in love of a brother. In ancient times it was meant to express loyalty and virtue. It's love for a practical purpose. The New Testament uses the world Phileo to mean brotherly love.

Storge love is a natural affection as in the love of a offspring by parents.

Xenia love is something that modern humans have abandoned. It's the love between strangers as in the love the host feels for a guest and the love that the guest feel for host in form of gratitude. This idea was important to the ancient Greeks.

St. Augustus delved into the meaning of love as it relates to Christianity. He emphasized the difference between lust and love. He said that the only one who can love you truly is God because humans are flawed with jealousy, fear, and suspicion.

The Jewish idea of love is in Ahava, which means love of God and love of neighbor. This is the commandment 'Love you neighbor as yourself'.

Ishq is divine love in Islam. Islamic tradition of Sufism is the idea that love is a refection or projection of God in the universe. It's literally the religion of love.

Both Buddhism and Hinduism refer to sensual, sexual love with the word Kama. Karuna is compassion and mercy.

The one common idea with all of these kinds of love is that love is a basic emotion of humans. Everyone recognizes this, and love has become ingrained into cultures and art throughout the world. Some scientists believe that love is an emotion that evolved with modern humans as a survival mechanism. This makes sense because if ancient parents didn't love and care for their children there is no way that we would be here.

Thanks for reading.