There are all kinds of scientific and social explanations for love, but what do some philosophers think it is?
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Nottingham chapter. I recently read the excellent ‘How to Be Perfect’ by Michael Schur (writer and creator for shows including The Office (US); Brooklyn 99; Parks and Recreation; and crucially, The Good Place). Schur wrote the book having completed The Good Place to surmise the extensive research he did during the show’s planning and writing stages. The book, of ironic tittle, is essentially a dummies guide to moral philosophy; it is made accessible and, consequently, less daunting. (Although it is still philosophy, and as the title implies, it literally introduces the notion of being “perfect”, so, you know, it’s not going to be appearing of the Smyth’s toys Christmas 2022 best buys anytime soon). Early in the book Aristotle’s principle of virtue ethics is introduced; this is one of the real giants of philosophical theory, and one of the oldest. Virtue ethics is the idea that humans are at their best and living their best lives when certain qualities are at a perfect balanced medium.1 Not too much, not too little. Reminiscent of Goldilocks? A whole sister theory borrows the nursery rhymes tittle so you’re not alone in that logical comparison. In total, Aristotle outlined seven qualities: Trust, Compassion, Courage, Justice, Wisdom, Temperance and Hope. However,...