New Theory of Love: The Love Philosophy of Men and Women

Author: Jin Zi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-11-01
Features: As humans, we all share common humanity or nature. We possess both minds and bodies, and apart from that, we are either men or women. However, men have significant masculine traits but also a small portion of feminine traits; women, while having notable feminine traits, also have a small portion of masculine traits. An American Indigenous believer once said, "In men, there is a reflection of women, and in women, there is a reflection of men." Love connects all aspects of two individuals—a man and a woman. Between them, both are simultaneously the subject and object of love. The concept of Platonic love originated from the phrase coined by Renaissance scholar Baldassare Castiglione. It refers to the longing and admiration between souls, excluding the element of physical intimacy. Castiglione himself explained it as "submitting to the spirit rather than to the lover." Platonic love has been extensively explored in modern literary works. According to this theory, love can transcend gender, age, space, time, and even occur between two worlds of differing species. What is love? Is it a great magician? Or a captivating painting? A poem, a song? Or a delicate promise? Perhaps it is a fleeting romance with no resolution? What is the language of love? What is the voice of love? We have listened seriously, but how should we listen? And what should we listen to? Even if we have loved many times, what we may have heard is silence. But this is clearly a paradox—if silence is a good way to express love, then what is the meaning of sound? If love is a purpose, why do we still desperately seek gain or loss? If not, what is the purpose of our love? What is true love? The author combines a wealth of materials from world literature and analyzes various aspects of love from the perspectives of ethics, sociology, and psychology. The author firmly rejects religious asceticism, believing that love between men and women is reasonable and just, while also elaborating in detail on issues such as love and responsibility, love and morality, and the heart and reason.