--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We need a moral philosophy in which the…" description: "\"We need a moral philosophy in which the concept of love, so rarely mentioned now by philosophers, can once again be made central.\" — Iris Murdoch" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5d/iris-murdoch-993_concept-of-love_we-need-a-moral-philosophy-in-which-the_2729474.png" --- # We need a moral philosophy in which the concept of love… ![“We need a moral philosophy in which the concept of love, so rarely mentioned now by philosophers, can once again be made central.” quote by Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5d/iris-murdoch-993_concept-of-love_we-need-a-moral-philosophy-in-which-the_2729474.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5d/iris-murdoch-993_concept-of-love_we-need-a-moral-philosophy-in-which-the_2729474.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d5d/iris-murdoch-993_concept-of-love_we-need-a-moral-philosophy-in-which-the_2729474.png) > “We need a moral philosophy in which the concept of love, so rarely mentioned now by philosophers, can once again be made central.” [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A call to restore love as a central philosophical principle, countering its marginalization. **In simple terms:** Make love central in philosophy. Key Takeaway Re‑integrate love into ethical theory. Themes ethics philosophy love humanism Mood reflective hopeful Type theoretical inspirational When to use this quote - academic discourse - public policy - personal relationships - counseling Key Concepts moral centrality affective theory Questions to Reflect On - How can love be defined philosophically? - What policies reflect love as a value? A Different Perspective Love can be abstract and hard to operationalize. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Concept of love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concept-of-love-36117/) [Concepts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/concepts/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Mentioned Philosophers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mentioned-philosophers-2943652/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-philosophy/) [Need Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-moral-1375231/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Philosopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosopher/) [Philosophers Central](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophers-central-2943651/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Philosophy Concept](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-concept-602126/) ## Related quotes > [We need a moral philosophy which can speak significantly of Freud and Marx and out of which aesthetic and political views can be generated.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/we-need-a-moral-philosophy-which-can-speak-significantly-of-freud-and/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [I suspect that the changes that have taken place during the last century in the average man's fundamental beliefs, in his philosophy, in his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-andrews-millikan/i-suspect-that-the-changes-that-have-taken-place-during-the-last/) [Robert Andrews Millikan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-andrews-millikan/) > [We've been socialized with these concepts of love, intimacy, that have no bearing on reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marc-collins-rector/we-ve-been-socialized-with-these-concepts-of-love-intimacy-that-have/) [Marc Collins-Rector](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marc-collins-rector/) > [It is the whole modern concept of love which should be re-examined, such as is commonly but transparently expressed in phrases like 'love at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andr-breton/it-is-the-whole-modern-concept-of-love-which-should-be-re-examined/) [Andre Breton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andr-breton/) > [When it comes to love as a spiritual manifestation, it is an experience of utter surrender to that which is greater than any concept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-beckwith/when-it-comes-to-love-as-a-spiritual-manifestation-it-is-an/) [Michael Beckwith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-beckwith/) > [The vast majority of people's concept of love is actually hate, more or less. “I need you, I must have you, I can't live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lester-levenson/the-vast-majority-of-people-s-concept-of-love-is-actually-hate-more/) [Lester Levenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lester-levenson/) > [Power properly understood is nothing but the ability to achieve purpose... one of the great problems of history is that the concepts of love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/power-properly-understood-is-nothing-but-the-ability-to-achieve-2/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Basically, I have found that people who have tried to start communities out of good feelings or hippie-dippie abstract concepts of love - it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dar-williams/basically-i-have-found-that-people-who-have-tried-to-start/) [Dar Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dar-williams/) > [Ads sell more than products. 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Before you say or do anything, check your inner G.P.S. by asking, "Does this show respect for God…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pam-farrel/we-all-need-a-moral-compass-before-you-say-or-do-anything-check-your/) [Pam Farrel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pam-farrel/) > [We need more moral compasses and less Sat Navs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-cavanagh/we-need-more-moral-compasses-and-less-sat-navs/) [Dean Cavanagh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-cavanagh/) > [To me, its seems necessary to rediscover - and the energy to do so exists - that even the political and economic spheres need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pope-benedict-xvi/to-me-its-seems-necessary-to-rediscover-and-the-energy-to-do-so/) [Pope Benedict XVI](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pope-benedict-xvi/) > [We need to be moral archaeologists to pull out how we understand the world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yosef-abramowitz/we-need-to-be-moral-archaeologists-to-pull-out-how-we-understand-the/) [Yosef Abramowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yosef-abramowitz/) ## More by Iris Murdoch > [Falling out of love is chiefly a matter of forgetting how charming someone is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/falling-out-of-love-is-chiefly-a-matter-of-forgetting-how-charming/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [One doesn't have to get anywhere in a marriage. It's not a public conveyance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/one-doesn-t-have-to-get-anywhere-in-a-marriage-it-s-not-a-public/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [“I think being a woman is like being Irish... Everyone says you're important and nice, but you take second place all the time.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/i-think-being-a-woman-is-like-being-irish-everyone-says-you-re/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [Art is the final cunning of the human soul which would rather do anything than face the gods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/art-is-the-final-cunning-of-the-human-soul-which-would-rather-do/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [The sending of a letter constitutes a magical grasp upon the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/the-sending-of-a-letter-constitutes-a-magical-grasp-upon-the-future/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [emotions really exist at the bottom of the personality or at the top. in the middle they are acted. this is why all the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/emotions-really-exist-at-the-bottom-of-the-personality-or-at-the-top/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [I have used the word "attention," which I borrow from Simone Weil, to express the idea of a just and loving gaze directed upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/i-have-used-the-word-attention-which-i-borrow-from-simone-weil-to/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [Starting a novel is opening a door on a misty landscape; you can still see very little but you can smell the earth and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/starting-a-novel-is-opening-a-door-on-a-misty-landscape-you-can-still/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [Art and morality are, with certain provisos…one. Their essence is the same. The essence of both of them is love. Love is the perception…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/art-and-morality-are-with-certain-provisos-one-their-essence-is-the/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [being homosexual doesn't determine a man's whole character any more than being heterosexual does.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/being-homosexual-doesn-t-determine-a-man-s-whole-character-any-more/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [All artists dream of a silence which they must enter, as some creatures return to the sea to spawn.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/all-artists-dream-of-a-silence-which-they-must-enter-as-some/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [“Oh if only I could take my mother away and never know of these things again. But it was impossible, the machine would go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/oh-if-only-i-could-take-my-mother-away-and-never-know-of-these-things/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [We defend ourselves by descriptions and tame the world by generalizing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/we-defend-ourselves-by-descriptions-and-tame-the-world-by-generalizing/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [“I'm sorry I was awful. I'm so full of terrors.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/i-m-sorry-i-was-awful-i-m-so-full-of-terrors/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) > [I live, I live, with an absolutely continuous sense of failure. I am always defeated, always. Every book is the wreck of a perfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iris-murdoch/i-live-i-live-with-an-absolutely-continuous-sense-of-failure-i-am/) [Iris Murdoch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) [Explore all 306 Iris Murdoch quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iris-murdoch/) ## More Concept of love quotes > [Ads sell more than products. They sell values, they sell images. 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