Hey Erin,
I really didn't want to get into this thread until I've had time to
address Bo's theory in full (which I may or may not be on board with), but I
couldn't resist making a comment here....
ERIN:
In reading this claim what comes to mind is research on attachment theory,
specifically Bowlby's research with rhesus monkeys. There is a lot of
evidence
that attachment style as an infant is predictive of adult attachment
style...
Rick:
I think you've really taken Bowlby's work far out of its context.
Bowlby's study was designed to respond to a then-common scientific belief
that 'attachment' was a secondary drive derived from more primary drives
like hunger ---ie. an infant becomes attached to its mother only because she
supplies food. He felt that 'attachment' to the mother was itself a
primary, innate drive and set out to prove so. He eventually concluded that
while feeding was important component of forming a mother/child bond,
contact comfort was more important. As far I can tell, he never claimed
that his work had any implications for the concept of Love (you know...
Love... the 'amore' of the troubadours). Are you suggesting that romance is
based on contact comfort and regular feeding?
Lorenz also tried to impress that his work was only moderately
generalizable to humans--- See his 1966 work 'On Aggression' for thoughts on
how animal behavior is purely based on survival while human behavior is
capable of being 'channeled' and modified.
ERIN:
So I think I agree with you if you are defining love as attachment...
Rick:
Love = Attachment? Kind of takes all the fun out of it, don't you
think? I pity the fool who proposes with the line, "Oh baby, I'm so
attached to you... let's get married." And to think it's been suggested
that romance is dead.... Sure 'love' has its biological meanings (ie. the
way Phaedrus and Lila 'love' each other one night below deck)... but tis a
cold-hearted cynic who claims it ends there.
Always 'attached' to talking with you,
rick
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