It has often been argued that love is intertwined with hatred – basically, that you cannot have the first without the second.
That love is intertwined with hatred can be understood in two ways: either that love and hatred are always present at the same time as ambivalent attitudes towards one and the same person or thing, or, alternatively, that they are always present as complementary attitudes towards different persons or things, persons or things that are opposed to each other, typically my friends and my enemies. I shall discuss both of these interpretations.
On the one hand, I will consider some evidence which seems to support the claim that love and hatred are intertwined as ambivalent attitudes. The evidence derives from the observation that when love ceases, it typically seems to turn into hatred rather than indifference. I shall argue that this observation, while important, does not establish an affirmative answer to our question. While the evidence from love turning into hatred is that of a mere succession of love and hatred, I shall then ponder evidence from a simultaneous presence of these two emotions: the case of what is sometimes called mixed feelings. I shall argue that the evidence from mixed feelings is not conclusive either. It is further weakened by two features of hatred, namely its centrality and its depth. I will also examine whether the phenomenon of jealousy proves that hatred always lurks at the bottom of love.
On the other hand, I will be concerned with the second meaning of the thesis of intertwinement, the interpretation which says that love and hatred always go together as complementary attitudes towards different persons or things. As we shall see, the reasons for believing this are weak, and partly derive from confusing love and hatred with other attitudes.
Andreas Dorschel is Head of the Institute of Music Aesthetics at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz since 2002. Dorschel has published extensively in the fields of Musicology, Philosophy (Aesthetics, Epistemology, Philosophy of Mind) and Historical Studies – a main thread being categories regarding human existence such as feelings, emotions, rationality, physicality, memory, prejudice, and interpretation (hermeneutics).
All welcome! A reception with light food will be served following the seminar, 4th floor kitchen.