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How did Love Evolve

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
What kind of love? The love of a parent for their child? The love of a spouse for their spouse? The love of a person for their work? Erotic love? Alturistic love? It seems to me that all these different kinds of love may have had seperate evolutionary causes.
 

Mike182

Flaming Queer
Sunstone said:
What kind of love? The love of a parent for their child? The love of a spouse for their spouse? The love of a person for their work? Erotic love? Alturistic love? It seems to me that all these different kinds of love may have had seperate evolutionary causes.
the theory of evolution can explain a lot of things, but it cannot (as far as i am aware) explain why humans have an appreciation for beauty, and (as far as i am aware) humans are the only creatures that have this appreciation of beauty

i await to be corrected on those points ;)

there is no genetic code for aesthetics as there is for eye colour and hair colour, so you do have a good question - where does it come from

my answer is God, but that is because i am a christian and that is my personal faith, i cannot give a scientific answer

C_P
 

Katzpur

Not your average Mormon
Love didn't evolve. It's an eternal attribute. It has been around as long as God has been, which is forever.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
I've wondered about the evolutionary origins of the human perception of beauty, too. I can understand and accept that the human perception of beauty in other humans may have an evolutionary basis. But I wonder about the ability to perceive beauty in a sunrise. What possible evolutionary purpose does that serve?
 

Terrywoodenpic

Oldest Heretic
I am not sure animals don't have a sense of beauty.
Mostly when they settle down to rest they chose the nicest spot around.
Birds sing for joy not just to communicate. many also collect pretty things for their nest,
They are also attracted by partners who have the most beautiful plumage.


Terry______________________-
Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
Well, as Painted Wolf often reminds us, elephants are known to mourn their dead, so it is it such a jump from that to the notion that elephants love?
 

Ryan2065

Well-Known Member
So what is love other than an extremely strong attraction between two people?

Or the love between a mother and a son or daughter (which tends to be stronger than the father.... who traditionally is out there getting food as the mother stays with the young)

If one uses their head it seems to be to be obvious how love has evolved... We already know that it is evolution wise better for a man and a woman to stay together to raise the kids... Whenever something is better for an animal, evolution tends to lend a hand to make that animal want to do that... Like eating... there is a drive for an animal to eat... Love, that drive is just there to make people stay with each other... A mother raising her young? again... love came about to force people to do this. =) That is my understanding at least.
 

Halcyon

Lord of the Badgers
Platonic love, i.e. the love between good friends and family is a trait of creatures that live in groups. It evolved in the same manner as physical traits - natural selection. Its purpose is the perpetuation of genes (if involving family) and self preservation, if you've got friends that will fight with you because they love you, it makes you twice as strong.

Sexual love is a mixture of lust, platonic love and the instinct to procreate.

In sentient animals, like humans, with the ability to contemplate abstract themes, the natural purpose of love is easily romanticised and so masked. Not that this is a bad thing.

As for the appreciation of beauty, its another example of the ability of the human brain to process abstract thought. It might not be a specifically evolved trait, just a pleasant side effect.
 

painted wolf

Grey Muzzle
I think that the appreciation of beauty is an extention of our ability to think abstractly.
It is a side effect, if you will, of our ability to make complex tools. The same part of the mind that can see an arrowhead in a rock sees beauty in a cloud. Humans began to orniment themselves with items to make themselves more beautiful at about the same time we began to make the more complex of our stone tools... its been snowballing ever sence. :cool:

wa:do
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
FeathersinHair said:
Do not allow me to start quoting the "Origin of Love" song. Do not. *restrains self, with immense effort*
Go on Feathers........have a quote on me.....:D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love

Scientific models


Biological models of love tend to see it as a mammalian drive, just like hunger or thirst. Psychology sees love as more of a social and cultural phenomenon. There are probably elements of truth in both views — certainly love is influenced by hormones (such as oxytocin) and pheromones, and how people think and behave in love is influenced by their conceptions of love.

[edit]


Attraction and attachment

The conventional view in biology is that there are two major drives in love — sexual attraction and attachment. Attachment between adults is presumed to work on the same principles that lead an infant to become attached to its mother.

[edit]


Companionate vs. passionate

The traditional psychological view sees love as being a combination of companionate love and passionate love. Passionate love is intense longing, and is often accompanied.........

Isn't it absurd, that the source of love should be so hard to find ? - I have been looking all over the internet, and yet cannot come nearer to a 'sensible' answer than "wikipedia".

Love is endemic - it is one of the prime emotions; which I see as being love, hate, and fear.
 

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
Sunstone said:
Well, as Painted Wolf often reminds us, elephants are known to mourn their dead, so it is it such a jump from that to the notion that elephants love?
Yes, but what is that jump? Evolutionists point to things like chromosomal similarities and fossil record, in other words, something tangible, in order to prove evolution. What are the tangible links for love?
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
sandy whitelinger said:
Yes, but what is that jump? Evolutionist point to things like chromosomal similarities and fossil record, in other words, something tangible, in order to prove evolution. What are the tangible links for love?
For one thing, you could look at the role played in different species by neurotransmitters and see whether those roles are similar. That might very well give you tangible evidence in support of the notion that love occurs in more than our own species.
 

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
Sunstone said:
For one thing, you could look at the role played in different species by neurotransmitters and see whether those roles are similar. That might very well give you tangible evidence in support of the notion that love occurs in more than our own species.
I could? Why do I have to do the work? I haven't found any evidence to support the evolution of love and was hoping perhaps some new something more about this. Or just maybe it's unexplainable.
 

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
Sunstone said:
For one thing, you could look at the role played in different species by neurotransmitters and see whether those roles are similar. That might very well give you tangible evidence in support of the notion that love occurs in more than our own species.
I could look? Why do I have to do the work to support your notion?
 

Darkdale

World Leader Pretend
sandy whitelinger said:
So, just how did love evolve?

With the chemical make-up of the human brain, which is of coursed shared by a couple other mammals (if I remember correctly).
 

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
Ryan2065 said:
If one uses their head it seems to be to be obvious how love has evolved... We already know that it is evolution wise better for a man and a woman to stay together to raise the kids... Whenever something is better for an animal, evolution tends to lend a hand to make that animal want to do that...
Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. How is that explained in your evolutionary model? Wouldn't the best love has to offer die out with the exemplar of it?
 

sandy whitelinger

Veteran Member
Darkdale said:
With the chemical make-up of the human brain, which is of coursed shared by a couple other mammals (if I remember correctly).
What is that chemical makeup? If love is nothing more than a chemical reaction why not come up with the "Love Drug?"
 
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