Norberg B. Eros and Agape. Rondel 2001; 8:Health (July-Sept 2001)
Your animal model for love is interesting, Mats! It reminds me of another famous biologist.
Albert was interested in the nature of life. He started with the most vital part of a rabbit, the part called file mignon by the chef and musculus psoas by the physician.
Albert and his guest researchers analyzed the muscle for one week, fiber-by-fiber and molecule-by-molecule. On the fifth day, knowledge and insight flourished, but the rabbit was dead, definitely dead.
"No good!", said Albert. "The higher course next year will be better. Then we start with the molecules and end with a living rabbit."
I feel that Abraham Harol Maslow was closer to truth; man is moved and directed by three basal needs – to survive, to reproduce, and to produce ("actualize oneself").
In regeneration, conception is a moment, pregnancy a year, breast-feeding another year, the rearing contract 20 years. The time spent on these activities suggests that rearing is the dominating need within the regeneration complex.
Certainly, there are alternative theories. One such alternative says that the genes themselves rule man. "But the spirits of prophets are subjects to their prophets." My hypothesis is that it is the need to care, akin to "actualize oneself", which winds the chromosomes along the meshwork of the species.
There is literary support for the rearing hypothesis. David Herbert infuriated contemporary class society .by suggesting that children are wanted and loved, a need sometimes stronger than social restrictions (cf. Gen. 38).
There is much to say in favour of biological love, Eros. In contrast Agape, the love which does not seek its own, cannot be understood by mind of man.
Bo Norberg
Literature
Dawkins R. The selfish gene (1976)
Hägglöf M. Capercaillie courting – an animal model of love. Rondel 2001; 8:Culture
Lawrence DH. Lady Chatterley´s lover (1928)
Maslow AH. Farther reaches of human nature (1971)
Morris D. The naked ape: A poologist´s study of the human animal (1967)
The Holy Bible. New International Version (1984)
Szernt-Györgyi A. Chemistry of muscular contraction. Academic Press, New York (1951)
Published September 12, 2001