Lesson plan

Conditional love

Conditional love is a love that is based upon the recipient of the love meeting certain conditions imposed by the lover. As opposed to the humanistic belief of unconditional love, it is argued that all forms of love are conditional in nature. While unconditional love is said to be the ideal of romantic, parental, or other meaningful relationships, it cannot be completely achieved. Many relationships require the use of conditions in order to satisfy the needs of the lover and recipient. This does not necessarily imply that conditional love is selfish or reward seeking, but rather asserts that love is achieved upon meeting the conditions that the lover views as valuable. If a lover feels love for another, it is likely due to the other's qualities that match the ideals of the lover - meaning it is conditional. This sort of love is created by the values of these conditions put by the lover themselves. It is possible, and actually ideal for conditional and unconditional love to coexist. Conditions are necessary for lovers to examine their values while identifying the benefits of a relationship compared to the detriments or risks. At the same time, unconditional love shows a reduction of risk and a willingness to show appreciation to the other.

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Article summary

Conditional love is a love that is based upon the recipient of the love meeting certain conditions imposed by the lover. As opposed to the humanistic belief of unconditional love, it is argued that all forms of love are conditional in nature. While unconditional love is said to be the ideal of romantic, parental, or other meaningful relationships, it cannot be completely achieved. Many relationships require the use of conditions in order to satisfy the needs of the lover and recipient. This does not necessarily imply that conditional love is selfish or reward seeking, but rather asserts that love is achieved upon meeting the conditions that the lover views as valuable. If a lover feels love for another, it is likely due to the other's qualities that match the ideals of the lover - meaning it is conditional. This sort of love is created by the values of these conditions put by the lover themselves. It is possible, and actually ideal for conditional and unconditional love to coexist. Conditions are necessary for lovers to examine their values while identifying the benefits of a relationship compared to the detriments or risks. At the same time, unconditional love shows a reduction of risk and a willingness to show appreciation to the other.

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Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  3. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.