PHIL 201 (STOLZE) Notes on Massimo Pigliucci, Answers for Aristotle, chapters 11-12

Key Concepts in Chapter Eleven The Ancient Greek Classification of Three Types of Love: – Eros = sexual attraction – Philia = love needed in order to get along with other people, e.g., friendship – Agapē = unconditional, self-sacrificing love Four (Perhaps Overlapping) Modern Philosophical Conceptions of Love (pp ): – Love as a “robust concern” – Love as valuing the other – Love as a union – Love as an emotion Pigliucci argues in this chapter that the new “science of love” can explain what the anthropologist Helen Fisher has called the three phases of eros but cannot provide a philosophical justification for philia or agapē (see a talk by Fisher summarizing her research: ) See also The Love Competition: Frank Turner, “Recovery” (all three phases wrapped into one song!):

Key Issues in Chapter Twelve Three major factors affecting our happiness: – Our “set point” (50%) – Our circumstances in life (10%) – What we actively do about it (40%) The science of friendship Aristotle on three types of friendship: – Based on pleasure – Based on utility – Based on virtue The need for persons “to present themselves to the world, to communicate, and yes, to engage in (mostly harmless) social exhibitionism” (pp ) Virtual friends through social media vs. the trust, intimacy, and significant investment of time required for actual friendships