What makes us love somebody

This thoughtful, beautifully cadenced discussion about what love is, from an old episode of the Philosopher's Zone, loaded onto my iPod when I switched to a new computer, and I found myself listening to it again today. The audio and transcript are available here. Do we love someone because of their particular characteristics? If so, why we go on loving them when those qualities change? Do we respond to them with an open heart because we appreciate and value what we perceive of their inner self? But if an authentic, autonomous self is not fully present - as with a child, or a senile parent - does that mean we can't love them? Jeanette Kennett from ANU steps through all these ideas and more.