I’m in the middle of writing a paper on ethical theories: teleological (utilitarian), deontological, virtue-based, and intuitive.

As I am researching deontological ethics, I came across the book Dostoevsky and Kant: Dialogues on Ethics, by Evgenia Cherkasova. The author asks,

What could be the link between the unconditional “ought” and our lived experience of the doubts and agony of human existence? It will become clear in the interchange between Dostoevsky and Kant that the notion of the heart offers a unique resolution of these issues.

For Valentine’s Day:

As a universal symbol of life and love, energy and empathy, “the heart” is central to the mysticism, the religion, and the poetry of all peoples. In the literature of the world, we find extensive and deep expressions of the spiritual work of the heart.

The background image is a photo I took in a museum called Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam this past summer.

Seated Cupid: ‘L’Amour Menaçant’

‘L’Amour Menaçant’ is the title of this piece, meaning ‘Love threatens’. Here Cupid, the god of love is shown as a winged boy aged about six. With his left hand he is reaching for an arrow from his quiver, although the bow with which to shoot the lover’s dart is missing. The youngster makes a secretive gesture, as is if appealing to the viewer to keep quiet. That this knavish child was considered threatening is reflected in the inscription by Voltaire which appears on the socle: ‘Qui que tu sois, voicy ton Maitre – Il l’est, le fut, ou le doit être’ or: ‘Whoever you are, this is your master – He is, he was or he will be’. So beware of love.

Hope you have a Happy Valentine’s Day! Beware of Cupid’s arrow! ;)