The Entitlement to Love and Its Connection to Meaning

 

The Entitlement to Love and Its Connection to Meaning

Premise 1: Every person is entitled to love, except in extreme cases.

• Carl Rogers: In "On Becoming a Person," Rogers emphasizes unconditional positive regard, meaning that every person, regardless of their flaws, is deserving of love and acceptance as part of personal growth. This aligns directly with the idea that everyone is entitled to love, except in rare extreme cases.
• Simone Weil: Weil, in "Waiting for God," asserts that love is essential even for those who suffer or face hardship, which supports the concept of extending love to nearly everyone, regardless of their circumstances.

Premise 2: The core reason for human existence is to feel pleasure.

• Jean-Paul Sartre: Sartre’s existentialism, particularly in "Being and Nothingness," argues that humans must create their own meaning and that they often do so through experiences that bring fulfillment, which can be associated with pleasure. He saw love as a profound source of meaning, making pleasure a core element of existence.
• Aristotle: In "Nicomachean Ethics," Aristotle associates eudaimonia (flourishing) with a life filled with pleasure derived from virtuous activity. This supports the idea that pleasure, including love, is a core reason for existence.

Premise 3: The most pleasurable experience a person can have is love.

• Viktor Frankl: In "Man’s Search for Meaning," Frankl claims that love is one of the most powerful experiences a human can have, even in the face of suffering. This supports the notion that love provides profound meaning and pleasure.
• Aristotle: In "Nicomachean Ethics," Aristotle argues that love, particularly in the form of friendship, is one of the highest pleasures and most fulfilling aspects of life.

Conclusion: Therefore, a person can find meaning in life through love, and almost every person deserves this purpose.

• Thomas Aquinas: In "Summa Theologica," Aquinas links the concept of universal good with love, arguing that love is part of the fulfillment of natural law. This supports the conclusion that love provides meaning to life and is deserved by all individuals.
• Jean-Paul Sartre: Sartre’s existential philosophy suggests that creating meaning through love is a personal responsibility, reinforcing the idea that nearly everyone can find purpose in love.