Storge ["store-jay"], or familial love, is a kind of philia pertaining to the love between parents and their children. The most common form of philia is close friendship. Philadelphia (brotherly love) appears a handful of times, and philia (friendship) appears once in James: The meaning of philia here in James involves a deep level of commitment and association that has moved beyond the basics of acquaintance or familiarity. “Philautia is self-love, which can be healthy or unhealthy.” Self-love can be good and bad depending on your own feelings. [1] The complete opposite is called a phobia. Eros: sexual and erotic desire kind of love (positive or negative) Agape: this is the unconditional love, or divine love It is characterized by tender, heartfelt consideration and kinship. They started as a ragtag group of people that Jesus gathered, but they ended up becoming such good friends they continued to minister together long after Jesus ascended back to heaven. The action is thus good both in itself and for the effect it has on the agent's happiness. The Greeks defined this kind of love as “affectionate love.” In other words, it is the kind of love that you feel for your friends. The other three are:- Eros is sexual love, between lovers. Philautia is not a technique, but rather the restoration of our innate spiritual center, which is love. As C. S. Lewis wrote in his book, The Four Loves, “To the Ancients, Friendship seemed the happiest and most fully human of all loves.” Philia occurs from bonding over similar interests. What Does the Bible Say About Attending Church? I love my dog (or cat). ", Learn Religions uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. These types are not mutually exclusive, but can overlap. David and Jonathan are one of the Bible's best examples of phileo love within a friendship. 3. For Aristotle, philia love is essential for human happiness because “no one would choose to live without friends ”. Love never ends. Gender-Based Love Magics . Philia (Greek) means friendship. ', M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University. Aristotle divides friendships into three types, based on the motive for forming them: friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure and friendships of the good. "[6] Thus acts of philia might seem to be essentially egoistic, performed apparently to help others, but in fact intended to increase the agent's happiness. In (2) the implication is typically that I findengaging in a certain activity or being a certain kind of person to bea part of my identity and so what makes my life wo… Here are 50 Philes and their love: If you don’t have much love for yourself, you are most likely going through a depression. I love how both articles include a love catalyst for each love type. Finally, we have phileo love. Ah, love. The boys are there for each other no matter what, through thick and thin. Talking Points: Philia is an affection toward others that grows beyond a good feeling to become a mutual commitment. All love is affectionate in some manner, but philialove is one that doesn’t involve any passion or sexual impulse. Philia: the love that you have for friends. In Greek, Philia means brotherly love. 3. Aristotle argues that there are three kinds of philia, for "not everything is loved, but [only] the lovable, and this is either good or pleasant or useful" (1155b18–19). Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. And when James named Abraham the friend of God (James 2:23), he employed the term philia. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. This is the feeling that arises when your friend confesses something of grave personal importance to them, and you are drawn closer to them. Eros is the type of love that most closely resembles what Western cultures now view as romantic love. St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo (354–430 AD), understood this form of love to describe a love of equals who are united in a common purpose, pursuit, good, or end. Learn Religions. Both philia and phileo originate from the Greek term phílos, a noun meaning "beloved, dear ... a friend; someone dearly loved (prized) in a personal, intimate way; a trusted confidant held dear in a close bond of personal affection." It involves putting up with and appreciating the good parts of each other. The emotional drive could be so much that it may also become an obsessive or excessive desire to acquire a certain thing or experience. Philia means close friendship or brotherly love in Greek. Philia can be defined as fondness, likeness, arousal or love towards something as an extreme form. Philia — Affectionate Love. Not all bonds of philia involves reciprocity Aristotle notes. 2. thefreedictionary defines ‘Phile’ as One that loves or has a strong affinity or preference for. This is a generous and affectionate love that seeks to make the other person happy with no expectation for the acts of kindness to be returned. For Aristotle, in order to feel the highest form of philia for another, one must feel it for oneself; the object of philia is, after all, "another oneself." In his Rhetoric, Aristotle defines the activity involved in philia (τὸ φιλεῖν) as: John M. Cooper argues that this indicates: Aristotle takes philia to be both necessary as a means to happiness ("no one would choose to live without friends even if he had all the other goods" [1155a5–6]) and noble or fine (καλόν) in itself. Love is one of the fruits of the Spirit of God which Paul writes about in Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness” and the Greek word Paul uses for the word love is “agapē” so brotherly love or “philia” or “philidelphia” is nothing more than loving someone in your own family or someone in your own group like in a church setting but the highest form of love is “agapē” and is used more often in the New Testament than any other form of the word love and is no be… We ought to have a warm and devoted love for one another that catches the interest and attention of the non-believers. Philos expresses experience-based love. ‘Phile’ comes from the ancient Greek word, ‘ phileein’ meaning to love. Phile denotes a person who loves or has a fondness for a specified thing. 15 Ways to Serve God Through Serving Others. It is one of the four types of love in the Bible. Apart from ailurophiles and cynophiles, there are several other terms for the nature buddy in us. Physical desire, they note, is held in common with the animal kingdom. From this place, love from the divine flows freely into the body, mind, emotional bodies, and spirit. Jesus loved His mother, His step-father Joseph, and His relatives, through Storge. Philia love is characterised by a mutual affection for one another, by getting on well together and wanting what is best for the other person without an interest in what is best for yourself. As members of the body of Christ, we are family in a special sense. The concept of brotherly affection that unites believers is unique to Christianity. In meeting Augustus Waters, Hazel also gets to know Isaac, the best friend of Augustus. Christians are frequently exhorted to love their fellow Christians. Philia means close friendship or brotherly love in Greek. In ordinary conversations, we often say things like the following: 1. When the Lord called his disciples "friends" (Luke 12:4; John 15:13–15), philia was the word he used. Talk about it: https://www.pursuegod.org/what-is-philia-love/ This, however, confuses the nature of the action with its motivation; the good person doesn't perform an action to help a friend because it will give her fulfillment; she performs it in order to help the friend, and in performing it makes both her friend and herself happy. Friendships of the good are ones where both friends enjoy each other's characters. This is the highest level of philia, and in modern English might be called true friendship. It is a dispassionate virtuous... Storge (στοργή storgē) means "love, affection" and "especially of parents and children". Generally though, the bonds of philia are symmetrical. John 11:1-3, 35-36 Christians are marked by a love for each other rooted in our shared identity and experience in Christ. "What Is Philia Love in the Bible?" Best friends will display this generous and affectionate love for each other as each seeks to make the other happy. Philia expresses experience-based love. Read the list of nature philias from our different types of philias and phobias. There are 4 types of love identified in Greek. 2. Depression is a serious case. Philia The hallmark of philia, or friendship, is shared goodwill. An ornithophile is a bird-lover. Complaints and quarrels generally only arise in this type of friendship. I love my wife (or mother or child or friend). "Anyone who is to be happy, then, must have excellent friends" (1170b19). When Jesus Christ was described as a "friend of sinners" in Matthew 11:19, philia was the original Greek word applied. Zavada, Jack. By Pedro Alexis Tabensky, Published by. Agape is a bit more abstract than the other two types of love, but stay with me. He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges. Learn Religions, Aug. 27, 2020, learnreligions.com/what-is-philia-700691. Philia is friendship love. Philiabased on mutual pleasure (love for what is pleasant). Thus, philia refers to love based on mutual respect, shared devotion, joint interests, and common values. Women used the spells as aphrodisiacs. Hence, it is of a lower order of reaction and stimulus than a rationally induced love---that is, a love produced by rational discourse and exploration of ideas, which in turn defines the pursuit of Ideal beauty. Oord defines philia as an intentional response to promote well-being when cooperating with or befriending others. Philiabased on mutual advantage (love for what is useful). Another kind of love is that of philia. (1) may be understood as meaning merely that I like this thingor activity very much. Ironically, the ancient Greeks thought this kind of love was better than eros (sexual love), because it represented love between people who considered themselves equals. Philia refers to brotherly love and is most often exhibited in a close friendship. Faraone distinguishes these two types of love, eros and philia, and their related magics as overwhelmingly gender-based.Men used the eros-based agoge spells [ago=lead] designed to lead women to them; women, the philia spells. [4], If philia is a type of love, Thomas Jay Oord has argued that it must be defined so as not to contradict love. In modern English, people in such a relationship would not even be called friends, but acquaintances (if they even remembered each other afterwards). Philia. List of concepts Philia (φιλία philía) means "affectionate regard, friendship", usually "between equals". Aristotle recognizes that there is an apparent conflict between what he says about philia and what he says elsewhere (and what is widely held at the time) about the self-sufficient nature of the fulfilled life: He offers various answers. When he is talking about the character or disposition that falls between obsequiousness or flattery on the one hand and surliness or quarrelsomeness on the other, he says that this state: This passage indicates also that, though broad, the notion of philia must be mutual, and thus excludes relationships with inanimate objects, though philia with animals, such as pets, is allowed for (see 1155b27–31). Eros Eros is sexual or passionate love, and most akin to the modern construct of romantic love. The concept of brotherly love that unites believers is unique to Christianity. In Greek myth, it is... 2. 4. According to Strong's Concordance, the Greek verb philéō is closely related to the noun philia. Philiabased on mutual admiration (love for what is good). (2020, August 27). How Can We Restore Philautia? Philia (pronounced FILL-ee-uh) conveys a strong feeling of attraction, with its antonym or opposite being phobia. Finally, he argues that one's friend is "another oneself," and so the pleasure that the virtuous person gets from his own life is also found in the life of another virtuous person. Whereas lovers are both preoccupied with each other, friends are both preoccupied with the same things. Augustus means the world to Isaac. Accordingly, the physical love of an object, an idea, or a person in itself is not a proper form of love, love being a reflectio… I love chocolate (or skiing). Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-philia-700691. Love is expressed outwardly towards others and oneself as a natural flow. 3 Types of Love: Eros, Agape, and Philos Eros. It is the most general form of love in the Bible, encompassing love for fellow humans, care, respect, and compassion for people in need. "What Is Philia Love in the Bible?" Philia (/ˈfɪliə/; Ancient Greek: φιλία), often translated "brotherly love", is one of the four ancient Greek words for love: philia, storge, agape and eros. [7], Happiness: Personhood, Community, Purpose List of ten philias for nature lovers: Many amongst us love nature in all its bounties, and there are the most enchanting terms for them. Aristotle divides friendships into three types, based on the motive for forming them: friendships of utility, friendships of pleasure and friendships of the good. For an alternative view, see Kraut, chapter 2. personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay, Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Introduction - Perspectives on Love and Agapé: Contemporary Views on Love", Defining Love: A Philosophical, Scientific, and Theological Engagement, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philia&oldid=1007993141, Words and phrases with no direct English translation, Wikipedia articles with style issues from May 2018, Articles containing Ancient Greek (to 1453)-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, John M. Cooper, "Aristotle on the Forms of Friendship" (, This page was last edited on 21 February 2021, at 00:32. Zavada, Jack. Believers are family not in the conventional sense, but in a way that is distinguished by a love that is not seen elsewhere. It is the love near and dear friends have for one another. In Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, philia is usually translated as "friendship" or affection. I love doing philosophy (or being a father). The apostle John also noted that philiais the kind of love that cle… As Gerard Hughes points out, in Books VIII and IX Aristotle gives examples of philia including: All of these different relationships involve getting on well with someone, though Aristotle at times implies that something more like actual liking is required. What Is Philia Love in the Bible? It is the love that exists between friends. For these are the goods desired and eagerly pursued by the many on the assumption that they are best" [1168b17–19]) from that which should be admired (ascribed to one who "is always eager above all to perform just or temperate actions or any other actions in accord with the virtues, and in general always gains for himself what is fine [noble, good]" [1168b25–27]). While many Greeks viewed eros as dangerous, they viewed philia as the ideal love. Agape. See Hughes, pp 175–176. At the next level, friendships of pleasure are based on pure delight in the company of other people. Zavada, Jack. Philia — “Affectionate Love” All love is affectionate in some manner, but philia love is one that doesn’t involve any passion or sexual impulse. 'God Is Love' Bible Verse: What Does it Mean? A Little More About Philia Love While philia love is brotherly love, it's also … Philia love is the love of friendship. Such may involve certain repeated behaviors or habit forming in such a way that the fondness may seem mindless, useless or wasteful for the person by the … It is what many refer to as Platonic love. It means "to show warm affection in an intimate friendship." Friendships of utility are relationships formed without regard to the other person at all. The only reason these people are communicating is in order to buy or sell things, which is not a bad thing, but as soon as that motivation is gone, so goes the relationship between the two people unless another motivation is found. However, what is meant by ‘love’ differs from case tocase. Philia is often something that is shared between friends. Many in the Platonic vein of philosophy hold that love is an intrinsically higher value than appetitive or physical desire. I like to think of them broadly as; Eros-A love felt particularly within the body (trembling excitement, elation, joy), coloured and underpinned by deep and beautiful procreative urges.… As long as both friends keep similar characters, the relationship will endure since the motive behind it is care for the friend. This word is used in the Bible. 1. This alone does not commit Aristotle to egoism, of course. “The deepest need of man, then, is to overcome his separateness, to leave the prison of his aloneness.” — Erich Fromm, The Art of Loving. Phileo love is brotherly love. The Greeks had four words to describe what we call love, Eros, (romantic love), Phileo, (enjoyment, fondness, friendship), Storge (family loyalty) and Agape (unconditional love with stick-ability). Because God is Love and made us for human companionship; Jesus chose to experience the human condition, by experiencing Storge (family love) and Philia (friendship or brotherly love), too. We see philialove between Jesus and His disciples. Philia and other forms of this Greek noun are found throughout the New Testament. Buying merchandise, for example, may require meeting another person but usually needs only a very shallow relationship between the buyer and seller. The most highly-addictive, many-splendored battlefield there is. The third kind will usually involve the other two kinds too, and is, he argues, t… Love in the Bible: From God's Love to the Most Romantic Scriptures, Does the Bible Actually Say 'Cleanliness Is Next to Godliness? People who drink together or share a hobby may have such friendships. The first is based on the inherent goodness of acting for and being concerned for others ("the excellent person labours for his friends and for his native country, and will die for them if he must" [1169a19–20]); thus, being a wholly virtuous and fulfilled person necessarily involves having others for whom one is concerned—without them, one's life is incomplete: Aristotle's second answer is: "good people's life together allows the cultivation of virtue" (1170a12). Some examples of these might include love of father to son, elder to younger or ruler to subject. However, these friends may also part—in this case if they no longer enjoy the shared activity, or can no longer participate in it together. This type of love is most often shown within close friendships. Men used the spells to make women burn with passion. Love always starts within oneself before anything else. Philia is a love built on respect, equality, familiarity, and understanding. And his philia is not only that meaning. The philia also gives humans authentic friendship.[5]. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Philia is the most general type of love in Scripture, encompassing love for fellow humans, care, respect, and compassion for people in need. We can thus distinguish between: 1. Not only is self-love not incompatible with love of others, but Aristotle is careful to distinguish the sort of self-love that is condemned (ascribed to "those who award the biggest share in money, honours, and bodily pleasures to themselves. It is one of the four types of love in the Bible. Philia. Aristotle believed that a person can bear goodwill... 3. By using Learn Religions, you accept our. For example, philia describes the benevolent, kindly love practiced by early Quakers. In fact: Aristotle also holds, though, that, as Hughes puts it: "[t]he only ultimately justifiable reason for doing anything is that acting in that way will contribute to a fulfilled life. https://www.learnreligions.com/what-is-philia-700691 (accessed March 12, 2021). But what does it mean? This unique expression of love ought to be so attractive that it draws others into the family of God: Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. While my secondary eros means that I feel love through my body or hormones, I primarily philia love based on the mind. This close union of love among Christians is only seen in other people as members of a natural family. Christians are members of one family—the body of Christ; God is our Father and we are all brothers and sisters. It’s more like love between good friends or goodwill between you and someone you respect or admire.