★ Israel's Newest $50M Penthouse, Plunge Pool Included ★
★ Israel's Newest $50M Penthouse, Plunge Pool Included ★
History
The idea of a penthouse apartment was born in the 1920s, called “The Roaring Twenties”, when economic growth brought a construction boom to New York City,
the heart of the American economy. The high demand for living in urban
areas and the wealth of Americans led to luxury apartments on the top
floor or floors of a building.
One of the earliest penthouse apartments in the city was publisher Conde Nast’s duplex penthouse at 1040 Park Avenue.
The original 1923 plan for the building provided three units on each
floor with additional maids’ rooms on the roof, but in 1924 the
building’s upper spaces were constructed to provide a grand duplex
for Nast. Connected by a staircase to the rooftop entertaining salons,
the corner unit at the top floor was redesigned to be private family
quarters. The whole unit was decorated in the French manner by Elsie de Wolfe.
Completed in 1925, Conde Nast’s duplex penthouse was used for many
lavish parties, which were made famous as much by guest lists as by the
entertainment.[1]
Architectural definition
In architecture, the term penthouse is used to refer to a structure on the roof of a building that is set back from the outer walls. These structures do not occupy the entire roof deck. High-rise buildings will often have penthouse structures enclosing mechanics such as those in an elevator machine room.
While European designers and architects long recognised the potential
in creating living spaces that make use of rooftops and such setbacks,
in US cities, exploitation of these spaces began in earnest in the
1920s. It was a matter of news when the development of a rooftop
apartment at the Plaza Hotel overlooking Central Park was announced in 1923, and this was followed by rapid development of luxury penthouse apartments in the following years.[2]
When used as private outdoor terrace spaces, setbacks can allow for significantly larger and more protected spaces than cantileveredbalconies.
Due to the desirability of this outdoor space, buildings may be
designed with such setbacks on more than one of its uppermost levels, to
allow apartments on several levels to feature such terraces. Not all
penthouses have such terraces, but they are a desired feature. One such
space may be divided among several apartments, or one apartment may
occupy an entire floor. A penthouse apartment/condominium may also
provide occupants with private access to the roof space above the
apartment, instead of, or in addition to, terrace space created by an
adjacent setback.
Location and size
Penthouse apartments have not only the advantages of a regular
apartment such as security and convenient location but also all those of
a house such as size and design.
Similar to apartments, penthouses are usually located in the heart of
busy cities yet offer a sense of being situated far away from or above
noisy and crowded urban life. Such locations provide easy access to
hotels, restaurants, malls, and schools. Overcoming the issue of small
space in regular apartments, penthouses are usually large.
Penthouses also differentiate themselves by luxurious amenities such as high-end appliances, finest materials fitting, luxurious flooring system, and more.
Features not found in the majority of apartments in the building may include a private entrance or elevator,
or higher/vaulted ceilings. In buildings consisting primarily of single
level apartments, penthouse apartments may be distinguished by having two or more levels. They may also have such features as a terrace, fireplace, more floor area, over-sized windows, multiple owner suites, den/office space, jacuzzi,
and more. They might be equipped with luxury kitchens featuring
stainless steel appliances, granite counter-tops, breakfast bar/island,
and more.
Penthouse residents often have fine views of the city skyline.
Access to a penthouse apartment is usually provided by a separate
elevator. Residents can also access a number of building services, such
as pickup and delivery of everything from dry cleaning to dinner;
reservations to restaurants and events made by building staffers; and
other concierge services.
For example: the top floor penthouse of Robert A. M. Stern’s 15 Central Park West 20-storey apartment building in New York has the following amenities:[3]
Set on a rooftop terrace, the penthouse has a view of the midtown skyline and at its feet is the whole geometry of Central Park.
Penthouse ceiling was constructed to be thirteen and a half feet
high. Windows were made to be as high and wide as they could be.
Each section of the penthouse was furnished with unique materials. For the entrance gallery: marble floors and parchment panels framed in mahogany. For the library: Brazilian rosewood. For the dining room: Venetian stucco. For the master bedroom: reeded plasted. For the kitchen: Jaguar-green lacquer, bamboo, and textured glass. For the interiors of the fireplaces: long, narrow 19th-century bricks imported from France.
This penthouse has a very sophisticated technology system. An anemometer was installed on the roof to measure wind speed so the terraces’ canvasawning can be retracted and does not get ripped off the penthouse’s exalted façade. Moisturesensors
were used detect a leak, automatically sending an e-mail to the
building managers. Temperature sensors, strapped to pipes, send an
e-mail when the temperature deviates by as little as a single degree
from the temperature set by the client.
Cultural references
Penthouse apartments are considered to be at the top of their
markets, and are generally the most expensive, with expansive views,
large living spaces, and top-of-the line amenities.[4] Accordingly, they are often associated with a luxury lifestyle. Publisher Bob Guccione named his magazine Penthouse, with the trademark phrase "Life on top".[5]
★ Israel's Newest $50M Penthouse, Plunge Pool Included ★
A penthouse apartment or penthouse is an apartment on the highest floor of an apartment building.
Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury
features. The term penthouse originally referred to, and sometimes
still does refer to, a separate smaller "house" that was constructed on
the roof of an apartment building.
The word "love" can have a variety of related but distinct meanings
in different contexts. Many other languages use multiple words to
express some of the different concepts that English relies mainly on
"love" to encapsulate; one example is the plurality of Greek words for "love."Cultural differences in conceptualizing love thus doubly impede the establishment of a universal definition.[10]
Although the nature or essence of love is a subject of frequent debate, different aspects of the word can be clarified by determining what isn't love. Love as a general expression of positive sentiment (a stronger form of like) is commonly contrasted with hate (or neutral apathy); as a less sexual and more emotionally intimate form of romantic attachment, love is commonly contrasted with lust; and as an interpersonal relationship with romantic overtones, love is sometimes contrasted with friendship, although the word love is often applied to close friendships.
Abstractly discussed love usually refers to an experience one
person feels for another. Love often involves caring for or identifying
with a person or thing (cf. vulnerability and care theory of love), including oneself (cf. narcissism).
In addition to cross-cultural differences in understanding love, ideas
about love have also changed greatly over time. Some historians date
modern conceptions of romantic love to courtly Europe during or after the Middle Ages, although the prior existence of romantic attachments is attested by ancient love poetry.[11]
The complex and abstract nature of love often reduces discourse of love to a thought-terminating cliché. Several common proverbs regard love, from Virgil's "Love conquers all" to The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love". St. Thomas Aquinas, following Aristotle, defines love as "to will the good of another."[12]Bertrand Russell describes love as a condition of "absolute value," as opposed to relative value.[citation needed] Philosopher Gottfried Leibniz said that love is "to be delighted by the happiness of another."[13] Biologist Jeremy Griffith defines love as "unconditional selflessness".[14]
Love is sometimes referred to as an "international language" that overrides cultural and linguistic divisions.
Impersonal love
A person can be said to love an object, principle, or goal to which
they are deeply committed and greatly value. For example, compassionate
outreach and volunteer workers' "love" of their cause may sometimes be
born not of interpersonal love but impersonal love, altruism, and strong spiritual or political convictions.[15]
People can also "love" material objects, animals, or activities if they
invest themselves in bonding or otherwise identifying with those
things. If sexual passion is also involved, then this feeling is called paraphilia.[16]
Interpersonal love
Interpersonal love refers to love between human beings. It is a more potent sentiment than a simple liking for another. Unrequited love refers to those feelings of love that are not reciprocated. Interpersonal love is most closely associated with interpersonal relationships.[15]
Such love might exist between family members, friends, and couples.
There are also a number of psychological disorders related to love, such
as erotomania.
Pair of Lovers. 1480–1485
Throughout history, philosophy and religion have done the most speculation on the phenomenon of love. In the last century, the science of psychology has written a great deal on the subject. In recent years, the sciences of psychology, anthropology, neuroscience, and biology have added to the understanding of the nature and function of love.
Biological models of sex tend to view love as a mammalian drive, much like hunger or thirst.[17]Helen Fisher,
a leading expert in the topic of love, divides the experience of love
into three partly overlapping stages: lust, attraction, and attachment.
Lust is the feeling of sexual desire; romantic attraction determines
what partners mates find attractive and pursue, conserving time and
energy by choosing; and attachment involves sharing a home, parental
duties, mutual defense, and in humans involves feelings of safety and
security.[18]
Three distinct neural circuitries, including neurotransmitters, and
three behavioral patterns, are associated with these three romantic
styles.[18] Lust is the initial passionate sexual desire that promotes mating, and involves the increased release of chemicals such as testosterone and estrogen. These effects rarely last more than a few weeks or months. Attraction
is the more individualized and romantic desire for a specific candidate
for mating, which develops out of lust as commitment to an individual
mate forms. Recent studies in neuroscience have indicated that as people fall in love, the brain consistently releases a certain set of chemicals, including the neurotransmitter hormones, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, the same compounds released by amphetamine, stimulating the brain's pleasure center and leading to side effects such as increased heart rate, loss of appetite and sleep, and an intense feeling of excitement. Research has indicated that this stage generally lasts from one and a half to three years.[19]
Since the lust and attraction stages are both considered temporary, a
third stage is needed to account for long-term relationships. Attachment is the bonding that promotes relationships lasting for many years and even decades. Attachment is generally based on commitments such as marriage and children, or on mutual friendship based on things like shared interests. It has been linked to higher levels of the chemicals oxytocin and vasopressin to a greater degree than short-term relationships have.[19]Enzo Emanuele and coworkers reported the protein molecule known as the nerve growth factor (NGF) has high levels when people first fall in love, but these return to previous levels after one year.[20]
Psychology depicts love as a cognitive and social phenomenon. PsychologistRobert Sternberg formulated a triangular theory of love
and argued that love has three different components: intimacy,
commitment, and passion. Intimacy is a form in which two people share
confidences and various details of their personal lives, and is usually
shown in friendships and romantic love affairs. Commitment, on the other
hand, is the expectation that the relationship is permanent. The last
and most common form of love is sexual attraction and passion.
Passionate love is shown in infatuation as well as romantic love. All
forms of love are viewed as varying combinations of these three
components. Non-love does not include any of these components. Liking
only includes intimacy. Infatuated love only includes passion. Empty
love only includes commitment. Romantic love includes both intimacy and
passion. Companionate love includes intimacy and commitment. Fatuous
love includes passion and commitment. Lastly, consummate love includes
all three.[21] American psychologist Zick Rubin sought to define love by psychometrics in the 1970s. His work states that three factors constitute love: attachment, caring, and intimacy.[22][23]
Following developments in electrical theories such as Coulomb's law,
which showed that positive and negative charges attract, analogs in
human life were developed, such as "opposites attract." Over the last
century, research on the nature of human mating has generally found this
not to be true when it comes to character and personality—people tend
to like people similar to themselves. However, in a few unusual and
specific domains, such as immune systems,
it seems that humans prefer others who are unlike themselves (e.g.,
with an orthogonal immune system), since this will lead to a baby that
has the best of both worlds.[24] In recent years, various human bonding
theories have been developed, described in terms of attachments, ties,
bonds, and affinities. Some Western authorities disaggregate into two
main components, the altruistic and the narcissistic. This view is
represented in the works of Scott Peck, whose work in the field of applied psychology
explored the definitions of love and evil. Peck maintains that love is a
combination of the "concern for the spiritual growth of another," and
simple narcissism.[25] In combination, love is an activity, not simply a feeling.
Psychologist Erich Fromm maintained in his book The Art of Loving
that love is not merely a feeling but is also actions, and that in
fact, the "feeling" of love is superficial in comparison to one's
commitment to love via a series of loving actions over time.[15]
In this sense, From held that love is ultimately not a feeling at all,
but rather is a commitment to, and adherence to, loving actions towards
another, oneself, or many others, over a sustained duration.[15]
Fromm also described love as a conscious choice that in its early
stages might originate as an involuntary feeling, but which then later
no longer depends on those feelings, but rather depends only on
conscious commitment.[15]
Evolutionary basis
Evolutionary psychology
has attempted to provide various reasons for love as a survival tool.
Humans are dependent on parental help for a large portion of their
lifespans compared to other mammals. Love has therefore been seen as a
mechanism to promote parental support of children for this extended time
period. Another factor may be that sexually transmitted diseases can cause, among other effects, permanently reduced fertility, injury to the fetus, and increase complications during childbirth. This would favor monogamous relationships over polygamy.[26]
Comparison of scientific models
Biological models of love tend to see it as a mammalian drive, similar to hunger or thirst.[17] Psychology sees love as more of a social and cultural phenomenon. Certainly love is influenced by hormones (such as oxytocin), neurotrophins (such as NGF), and pheromones, and how people think and behave in love is influenced by their conceptions of love. 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. 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 by physiological arousal
(shortness of breath, rapid heart rate); companionate love is affection
and a feeling of intimacy not accompanied by physiological arousal.
Greek distinguishes several different senses in which the word "love" is used. For example, Ancient Greek has the words philia, eros, agape, storge, and xenia.
However, with Greek (as with many other languages), it has been
historically difficult to separate the meanings of these words totally.
At the same time, the Ancient Greek text of the Bible has examples of the verbagapo having the same meaning as phileo. Agape (ἀγάπηagápē) means love in modern-day Greek. The term s'agapo means I love you in Greek. The word agapo is the verb I love. It generally refers to a "pure," ideal type of love, rather than the physical attraction suggested by eros. However, there are some examples of agape used to mean the same as eros. It has also been translated as "love of the soul." Eros (ἔρωςérōs) (from the Greek deity Eros) is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing. The Greek word erota means in love. Plato
refined his own definition. Although eros is initially felt for a
person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty
within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself. Eros
helps the soul recall knowledge of beauty and contributes to an
understanding of spiritual truth. Lovers and philosophers are all
inspired to seek truth by eros. Some translations list it as "love of
the body." Philia (φιλίαphilía), a dispassionate virtuous love, was a concept addressed and developed by Aristotle.[citation needed]
It includes loyalty to friends, family, and community, and requires
virtue, equality, and familiarity. Philia is motivated by practical
reasons; one or both of the parties benefit from the relationship. It
can also mean "love of the mind." Storge (στοργήstorgē) is natural affection, like that felt by parents for offspring. Xenia (ξενία xenía), hospitality, was an extremely important practice in Ancient Greece.
It was an almost ritualized friendship formed between a host and his
guest, who could previously have been strangers. The host fed and
provided quarters for the guest, who was expected to repay only with
gratitude. The importance of this can be seen throughout Greek mythology—in particular, Homer'sIliad and Odyssey.
Ancient Roman (Latin)
The Latin language has several different verbs corresponding to the English word "love." amō is the basic verb meaning I love, with the infinitive amare (“to love”) as it still is in Italian today. The Romans used it both in an affectionate sense as well as in a romantic or sexual sense. From this verb come amans—a lover, amator, "professional lover," often with the accessory notion of lechery—and amica, "girlfriend" in the English sense, often being applied euphemistically to a prostitute. The corresponding noun is amor (the significance of this term for the Romans is well illustrated in the fact, that the name of the City, Rome—in Latin: Roma—can be viewed as an anagram for amor, which was used as the secret name of the City in wide circles in ancient times),[27] which is also used in the plural form to indicate love affairs or sexual adventures. This same root also produces amicus—"friend"—and amicitia,
"friendship" (often based to mutual advantage, and corresponding
sometimes more closely to "indebtedness" or "influence"). Cicero wrote a
treatise called On Friendship (de Amicitia), which discusses the notion at some length. Ovid wrote a guide to dating called Ars Amatoria (The Art of Love), which addresses, in depth, everything from extramarital affairs to overprotective parents.
Latin sometimes uses amāre where English would simply say to like. This notion, however, is much more generally expressed in Latin by placere or delectāre, which are used more colloquially, the latter used frequently in the love poetry of Catullus. Diligere
often has the notion "to be affectionate for," "to esteem," and rarely
if ever is used for romantic love. This word would be appropriate to
describe the friendship of two men. The corresponding noun diligentia, however, has the meaning of "diligence" or "carefulness," and has little semantic overlap with the verb. Observare is a synonym for diligere; despite the cognate with English, this verb and its corresponding noun, observantia, often denote "esteem" or "affection." Caritas
is used in Latin translations of the Christian Bible to mean
"charitable love"; this meaning, however, is not found in Classical
pagan Roman literature. As it arises from a conflation with a Greek word, there is no corresponding verb.
Chinese and other Sinic cultures
"Ai," the traditional Chinese character for love (愛) consists of a heart
(心, middle) inside of "accept," "feel," or "perceive," (受) which shows a
graceful emotion. It can also be interpreted as a hand offering one's
heart to another hand.
Two philosophical underpinnings of love exist in the Chinese tradition, one from Confucianism which emphasized actions and duty while the other came from Mohism which championed a universal love. A core concept to Confucianism is Ren
("benevolent love", 仁), which focuses on duty, action and attitude in a
relationship rather than love itself. In Confucianism, one displays
benevolent love by performing actions such as filial piety from
children, kindness from parent, loyalty to the king and so forth.
The concept of Ai (愛) was developed by the Chinese philosopher Mozi
in the 4th century BC in reaction to Confucianism's benevolent love.
Mozi tried to replace what he considered to be the long-entrenched
Chinese over-attachment to family and clan structures with the concept
of "universal love" (jiān'ài, 兼愛). In this, he argued directly
against Confucians who believed that it was natural and correct for
people to care about different people in different degrees. Mozi, by
contrast, believed people in principle should care for all people
equally. Mohism stressed that rather than adopting different attitudes
towards different people, love should be unconditional and offered to
everyone without regard to reciprocation, not just to friends, family
and other Confucian relations. Later in Chinese Buddhism, the term Ai (愛) was adopted to refer to a passionate caring love and was considered a fundamental desire. In Buddhism, Ai was seen as capable of being either selfish or selfless, the latter being a key element towards enlightenment.
In contemporary Chinese, Ai (愛) is often used as the equivalent of the Western concept of love. Ai is used as both a verb (e.g. wo ai ni 我愛你, or "I love you") and a noun (such as aiqing 愛情, or "romantic love"). However, due to the influence of Confucian Ren,
the phrase ‘Wo ai ni’ (I love you) carries with it a very specific
sense of responsibility, commitment and loyalty. Instead of frequently
saying "I love you" as in some Western societies, the Chinese are more
likely to express feelings of affection in a more casual way.
Consequently, "I like you" (Wo xihuan ni, 我喜欢你) is a more common way of expressing affection in Chinese; it is more playful and less serious.[28] This is also true in Japanese (suki da,
好きだ). The Chinese are also more likely to say "I love you" in English
or other foreign languages than they would in their mother tongue.
Persian
Rumi, Hafiz and Sa'di are icons of the passion and love that the Persian culture and language present. The Persian word for love is eshgh ,[citation needed] derived from the Arabic ishq,
however is considered by most to be too stalwart a term for
interpersonal love and is more commonly substituted for 'doost dashtan'
('liking').[citation needed]
In the Persian culture, everything is encompassed by love and all is
for love, starting from loving friends and family, husbands and wives,
and eventually reaching the divine love that is the ultimate goal in
life .[citation needed] Over seven centuries ago, Sa'di wrote:
The children of Adam are limbs of one body
Having been created of one essence.
When the calamity of time afflicts one limb
The other limbs cannot remain at rest.
If you have no sympathy for the troubles of others
You are not worthy to be called by the name of "man".
In Japanese Buddhism, ai
(愛) is passionate caring love, and a fundamental desire. It can develop
towards either selfishness or selflessness and enlightenment. Amae (甘え), a Japanese word meaning "indulgent dependence," is part of the child-rearing culture of Japan.
Japanese mothers are expected to hug and indulge their children, and
children are expected to reward their mothers by clinging and serving.
Some sociologists have suggested that Japanese social interactions in later life are modeled on the mother-child amae.
Turkish (Shaman and Islamic)
In Turkish,
the word "love" comes up with several meanings. A person can love a
god, a person, parents, or family. But that person can "love" just one
special person, which they call the word "aşk." Aşk is a feeling for to love,
or being "in love" (Aşık), as it still is in Turkish today. The Turks
used this word just for their loves in a romantic or sexual sense. If a
Turk says that he is in love (Aşık) with somebody, it is not a love that
a person can feel for his or her parents; it is just for one person,
and it indicates a huge infatuation. The word is also common for Turkic languages, such as Azerbaijani (eşq) and Kazakh (ғашық).
The Christian understanding is that love comes from God. The love of man and woman—eros in Greek—and the unselfish love of others (agape), are often contrasted as "ascending" and "descending" love, respectively, but are ultimately the same thing.[29]
There are several Greek words for "love" that are regularly referred to in Christian circles.
Agape: In the New Testament, agapē
is charitable, selfless, altruistic, and unconditional. It is parental
love, seen as creating goodness in the world; it is the way God is seen to love humanity, and it is seen as the kind of love that Christians aspire to have for one another.
Phileo: Also used in the New Testament, phileo is a human response to something that is found to be delightful. Also known as "brotherly love."
Christians believe that to Love God with all your heart, mind, and strength and Love your neighbor as yourself are the two most important things in life (the greatest commandment of the Jewish Torah, according to Jesus; cf. Gospel of Mark chapter 12, verses 28–34). Saint Augustine summarized this when he wrote "Love God, and do as thou wilt."
Sacred Love Versus Profane Love (1602–03) by Giovanni Baglione. Intended as an attack on his hated enemy the artist Caravaggio,
it shows a boy (hinting at Caravaggio's homosexuality) on one side, a
devil with Caravaggio's face on the other, and between an angel
representing pure, meaning non-erotic, love.
The Apostle Paul glorified love as the most important virtue of all. Describing love in the famous poem in 1 Corinthians,
he wrote, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not
boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is
not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight
in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts,
always hopes, and always perseveres." (1 Cor. 13:4–7, NIV)
The Apostle John wrote, "For
God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not
send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world
through him." (John 3:16–17, NIV) John also wrote, "Dear
friends, let us love one another for love comes from God. Everyone who
loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not
know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:7–8, NIV) Saint Augustine
says that one must be able to decipher the difference between love and
lust. Lust, according to Saint Augustine, is an overindulgence, but to
love and be loved is what he has sought for his entire life. He even
says, “I was in love with love.” Finally, he does fall in love
and is loved back, by God. Saint Augustine says the only one who can
love you truly and fully is God, because love with a human only allows
for flaws such as “jealousy, suspicion, fear, anger, and contention.” According to Saint Augustine, to love God is “to attain the peace which is yours.” (Saint Augustine's Confessions)
Augustine regards the duplex commandment of love in Matthew 22 as the
heart of Christian faith and the interpretation of the Bible. After the
review of Christian doctrine, Augustine treats the problem of love in
terms of use and enjoyment until the end of Book I of De Doctrina Christiana (1.22.21-1.40.44; [hereafter DDC]).
Many questions about love of neighbors, self-love, love of God, using
or enjoying human beings, and God’s using of us, are dealt with. The
duplex commandment of love is the fulfillment and end of the law and
thus the core of Christian faith and Scripture (DDC 1.26.27;
1.35.39). One should love God the most, and should love other things for
God’s sake. Augustine did not interpret the Bible without any
presupposition. Every text of Scripture should be interpreted along with
the norm of love (DDC 1.36.40; 3.10.15), the rule of faith (regula fidei, DDC 2.9.14; De Genesi adversus Manicheos 1.21.41), and the triad, hope-faith-love (DDC
1.39.43). Love, the criteria in the interpretation of Scripture, should
act through and through, because it is the chief purpose of Scripture (DDC
1.35.39). In the last days, every Christian will reach eternity and
Scripture will perish, including all scientific hermeneutics (DDC
1.39.43). But “there remain faith, hope, and love, these three; the
greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13). Therefore, although we may be
misled in the interpretation of the Bible, we should not miss the
target of building up this love.[30]
Christian theologians
see God as the source of love, which is mirrored in humans and their
own loving relationships. Influential Christian theologian C.S. Lewis wrote a book called The Four Loves. Benedict XVI wrote his first encyclical on "God is love".
He said that a human being, created in the image of God, who is love,
is able to practice love; to give himself to God and others (agape)
and by receiving and experiencing God's love in contemplation (eros).
This life of love, according to him, is the life of the saints such as Teresa of Calcutta and the Blessed Virgin Mary and is the direction Christians take when they believe that God loves them.[29]
In Christianity the practical definition of love is best summarised by St. Thomas Aquinas, who defined love as "to will the good of another," or to desire for another to succeed.[12]
This is the explanation of the Christian need to love others, including
their enemies. As Thomas Aquinas explains, Christian love is motivated
by the need to see others succeed in life, to be good people.
Judaism
In Hebrew, Ahava is the most commonly used term for both interpersonal love and love between God and God's creations. Chesed, often translated as loving-kindness, is used to describe many forms of love between human beings.
The commandment to love other people is given in the Torah, which states, "Love your neighbor like yourself" (Leviticus 19:18). The Torah's commandment to love God "with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6:5) is taken by the Mishnah (a central text of the Jewish oral law)
to refer to good deeds, willingness to sacrifice one's life rather than
commit certain serious transgressions, willingness to sacrifice all of
one's possessions, and being grateful to the Lord despite adversity
(tractate Berachoth 9:5). Rabbinic literature
differs as to how this love can be developed, e.g., by contemplating
divine deeds or witnessing the marvels of nature. As for love between
marital partners, this is deemed an essential ingredient to life: "See
life with the wife you love" (Ecclesiastes 9:9). The biblical book Song of Solomon is considered a romantically phrased metaphor of love between God and his people, but in its plain reading, reads like a love song. The 20th-century RabbiEliyahu Eliezer Dessler is frequently quoted as defining love from the Jewish point of view as "giving without expecting to take" (from his Michtav me-Eliyahu, Vol. 1).
Islam
Love encompasses the Islamic view of life as universal brotherhood
that applies to all who hold faith. Amongst the 99 names of God (Allah), there is the name Al-Wadud, or "the Loving One," which is found in Surah [Quran11:90] as well as Surah [Quran85:14]. God is also referenced at the beginning of every chapter in the Qur'an as Ar-Rahman and Ar-Rahim,
or the "Most Compassionate" and the "Most Merciful", indicating that
nobody is more loving, compassionate and benevolent than God. The Qur'an
refers to God as being "full of loving kindness."
The Qur'an exhorts Muslim believers to treat all people, those who have not persecuted them, with birr or "deep kindness" as stated in Surah [Quran6:8-9]. Birr is also used by the Qur'an in describing the love and kindness that children must show to their parents. Ishq, or divine love, is the emphasis of Sufism
in the Islamic tradition. Practitioners of Sufism believe that love is a
projection of the essence of God to the universe. God desires to
recognize beauty, and as if one looks at a mirror to see oneself, God
"looks" at himself within the dynamics of nature. Since everything is a
reflection of God, the school of Sufism practices to see the beauty
inside the apparently ugly. Sufism is often referred to as the religion
of love.[citation needed]
God in Sufism is referred to in three main terms, which are the Lover,
Loved, and Beloved, with the last of these terms being often seen in
Sufi poetry. A common viewpoint of Sufism is that through love,
humankind can get back to its inherent purity and grace. The saints of
Sufism are infamous for being "drunk" due to their love of God; hence,
the constant reference to wine in Sufi poetry and music.[31]
Eastern religions
Buddhism
In Buddhism, Kāma is sensuous, sexual love. It is an obstacle on the path to enlightenment, since it is selfish. Karuṇā
is compassion and mercy, which reduces the suffering of others. It is
complementary to wisdom and is necessary for enlightenment. Adveṣa and mettā
are benevolent love. This love is unconditional and requires
considerable self-acceptance. This is quite different from ordinary
love, which is usually about attachment and sex and which rarely occurs
without self-interest. Instead, in Buddhism it refers to detachment and
unselfish interest in others' welfare.
The Bodhisattva
ideal in Mahayana Buddhism involves the complete renunciation of
oneself in order to take on the burden of a suffering world. The
strongest motivation one has in order to take the path of the
Bodhisattva is the idea of salvation within unselfish, altruistic love
for all sentient beings.
In Hinduism, kāma is pleasurable, sexual love, personified by the god Kamadeva. For many Hindu schools, it is the third end (Kama) in life. Kamadeva is often pictured holding a bow of sugar cane and an arrow of flowers; he may ride upon a great parrot. He is usually accompanied by his consort Rati
and his companion Vasanta, lord of the spring season. Stone images of
Kamadeva and Rati can be seen on the door of the Chennakeshava temple at
Belur, in Karnataka, India. Maara is another name for kāma.
In contrast to kāma, prema – or prem – refers to elevated love. Karuna is compassion and mercy, which impels one to help reduce the suffering of others. Bhakti is a Sanskrit term, meaning "loving devotion to the supreme God." A person who practices bhakti is called a bhakta. Hindu writers, theologians, and philosophers have distinguished nine forms of bhakti, which can be found in the Bhagavata Purana and works by Tulsidas. The philosophical work Narada Bhakti Sutras, written by an unknown author (presumed to be Narada), distinguishes eleven forms of love.
In certain Vaishnava sects within Hinduism, attaining unaldulterated,
unconditional and incessant love for Godhead is considered the foremost
goal of life. Gaudiya Vaishnavas who worship Krishna as the Supreme
Personality of Godhead and the cause of all causes consider Love for
Godhead (Prema) to act in two ways: sambhoga and vipralambha (union and
separation)—two opposites .[32]
In the condition of separation, there is an acute yearning for being
with the beloved and in the condition of union there is supreme
happiness and nectarean. Gaudiya Vaishnavas consider that Krishna-prema
(Love for Godhead) is not fire but that it still burns away one's
material desires. They consider that Kṛṣṇa-prema is not a weapon, but it
still pierces the heart. It is not water, but it washes away
everything—one's pride, religious rules, and one's shyness.
Krishna-prema is considered to make one drown in the ocean of
transcendental ecstasy and pleasure. The love of Radha, a cowherd girl,
for Krishna is often cited as the supreme example of love for Godhead by
Gaudiya Vaishnavas. Radha is considered to be the internal potency of
Krishna, and is the supreme lover of Godhead. Her example of love is
considered to be beyond the understanding of material realm as it
surpasses any form of selfish love or lust that is visible in the
material world. The reciprocal love between Radha (the supreme lover)
and Krishna (God as the Supremely Loved) is the subject of many poetic
compositions in India such as the Gita Govinda and Hari Bhakti Shuddhodhaya.
In the Bhakti tradition within Hinduism, it is believed that
execution of devotional service to God leads to the development of Love
for God (taiche bhakti-phale krsne prema upajaya), and as love for God
increases in the heart, the more one becomes free from material
contamination (krishna-prema asvada haile, bhava nasa paya). Being
perfectly in love with God or Krishna makes one perfectly free from
material contamination. and this is the ultimate way of salvation or
liberation. In this tradition, salvation or liberation is considered
inferior to love, and just an incidental by-product. Being absorbed in
Love for God is considered to be the perfection of life.[33]
The term free love has been used [34] to describe a social movement that rejects marriage,
which is seen as a form of social bondage. The Free Love movement’s
initial goal was to separate the state from sexual matters such as
marriage, birth control, and adultery. It claimed that such issues were the concern of the people involved, and no one else.[35]
Many people in the early 19th century believed that marriage was an
important aspect of life to "fulfill earthly human happiness."
Middle-class Americans wanted the home to be a place of stability in an
uncertain world. This mentality created a vision of strongly defined
gender roles, which provoked the advancement of the free love movement
as a contrast.[36]
The term "sex radical" is also used interchangeably with the
term "free lover", and was the preferred term by advocates because of
the negative connotations of "free love".[citation needed]
By whatever name, advocates had two strong beliefs: opposition to the
idea of forceful sexual activity in a relationship and advocacy for a
woman to use her body in any way that she pleases.[37] These are also beliefs of Feminism.
Philosophy of love is the field of social philosophy and ethics that attempts to explain
the nature of love. The philosophical investigation of love includes
the tasks of distinguishing between the various kinds of personal love,
asking if and how love is or can be justified, asking what the value of love is, and what impact love has on the autonomy of both the lover and the beloved.
Many different theories attempt to explain
the nature and function of love. Explaining love to a hypothetical
person who had not himself or herself experienced love or being loved
would be very difficult because to such a person love would appear to be
quite strange if not outright irrational behavior. Among the prevailing
types of theories that attempt to account for the existence of love
are: psychological theories, the vast majority of which consider love to be very healthy behavior; evolutionary theories which hold that love is part of the process of natural selection; spiritual theories
which may, for instance consider love to be a gift from God; and
theories that consider love to be an unexplainable mystery, very much
like a mystical experience.
Love refers to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes that ranges from interpersonal affection ("I love my mother") to pleasure ("I loved that meal"). It can refer to an emotion of a strong attraction and personal attachment.[1] It can also be a virtue representing human kindness, compassion, and affection—"the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another".[2] It may also describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one's self or animals.[3] Ancient Greeks identified four forms of love: kinship or familiarity (in Greek, storge), friendship (philia), sexual and/or romantic desire (eros), and self-emptying or divine love (agape).[4][5] Modern authors have distinguished further varieties of romantic love.[6] Non-Western traditions have also distinguished variants or symbioses of these states.[7]
This diversity of uses and meanings combined with the complexity of the
feelings involved makes love unusually difficult to consistently
define, compared to other emotional states. Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and, owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts.[8] Love may be understood as a function to keep human beings together against menaces and to facilitate the continuation of the species.[9]
