Love, in the Objectivist ethics, is a response to values. It is the emotional price paid by one person for the joy they receive from the virtues of another. It’s not a payment for services rendered nor a compensation for disvalues, but a celebration of all that is good in another person and oneself.
Love is an expression of one’s highest values and virtues. When we love, it is not because we are duty-bound to do so, but because we recognize and respond to the rational values in the object of our affection.
Love is a powerful motivational force, guiding decisions and actions, fueling ambition, and energizing our life.
Carl B. Barney
February 12, 2025