The Possibility of a Duty to Love

In contemporary philosophy of love many objections have been raised against a duty or moral obligation to love. Many of these views deny compatibility of love and morality, arguing that love is partial, while morality is an impartial domain. It has been argued that love is not a response to reasons, love or emotions in general are not under our control, love is not something that can be claimed, or that we cannot really love someone if we act for duty’s sake. This paper investigates and reviews these objections; removing the obstacles for a duty to love. On a different conception of love (loving for reasons, controllable love) and a different conception of duties (detached from the notion of making claims, motivations of love being compatible with motivations of duty) the duty to love may appear more plausible.