The+self+in+love

While brotherly love as seen in José Martí’s poem is commendable, the principle that the poet exposes is also idealistic,

possibly unattainable. Below, I would like to consider a different take on his encouragement to love our fellow brothers

and sisters equally, and discuss his portrayal of brotherly love from a philosophical perspective, one that questions not only

its reasons, but also the possibility of its existence. In order to do that, I will discuss Martí’s principle of brotherly love

by means of 3 varieties that have traditionally been considered by philosophers: //eros//, //philia// and //agape//. As a result of

considering the 3 varieties, love sums up to be an abstract ideal that humans may never be able to experience, let alone

understand. Based on these considerations, one would stop and wonder whether brotherly love in fact exists or whether it is yet another

deceitful language artifice that humans use to manifest/explain their behavior. In the absence of its true understanding, love is turned

into a selfish need, a conscious decision or a general category meant to include feelings such as care, concern, passion,

want, need, etc.