Dialogues of Love

...in the being Italian: essere. In this philosophical context, Philo argues that for something to be thought of, it must have some form of existence, even if only in the mind. of the thing.

SO. I cannot fly so high with you, O Philo; let us come, I pray you, a bit lower. I still see that none of those things we most desire are properly loved.

PHI. We certainly always desire that which we do not have, but not for that reason that which is not; on the contrary, desire usually concerns things that exist, but which we are unable to possess.

SO. Yet it also usually concerns those things that do not actually exist, and we desire that they should exist, though we do not necessarily desire to "possess" them. For example, we desire that it should rain when it is not raining, and that there be good weather, and that a friend should arrive, and that something should be done. Because these things are not Italian: non sonno. Sophia is challenging Philo by pointing to events (like rain or a friend's arrival) that haven't happened yet and therefore lack "being" at the moment of desire., we desire that they should be for the sake of the profit we get from them, but not to possess them; nor for this reason would we say we love them. Thus, desire is of things that are not.

PHI. That which has no being at all is nothing; and that which is nothing, just as it cannot be loved, so too can it be neither desired nor possessed. And these things you mentioned—even if they do not have a present, actual existence when they are desired—nevertheless, their being is possible. One can desire that a possible being Italian: essere possibile. A concept used to describe things that do not exist yet but have the potential to happen or be created. come into actual being Italian: essere attuale., just as with those things that exist but which we do not have: because they exist, we can desire that they be possessed by us. Thus, every desire is either that what is not should come to be, or to possess what we lack. In this way, every desire presupposes partly being and partly privation Italian: priuatione. In Renaissance philosophy, "privation" is the lack of a quality or existence that a thing is naturally capable of having. Philo argues that desire is the drive to fill this "lack.", and it desires the fulfillment of being that it lacks. So it is that desire and love are...