mgr Joanna Leśniakowska

ORCID: 0009-0008-1888-3661

The topic of my dissertation is: "Friendship as a Form of Love. An Attempt at Philosophical Analysis."

My primary goal is to demonstrate that the classical understanding of love and friendship, despite numerous misinterpretations, still holds its binding power in the lives of individuals and societies.

Over the epochs, the place of love and friendship in the hierarchy of values has undergone changes. Classical philosophical literature and the works of the fathers of philosophy (Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus) presented a perspective on friendship as a particular form of love. In the history of philosophical thought, love and friendship were often considered in parallel, together. This theme was also willingly explored in later periods, including by Christian thinkers (Thomas Aquinas, Augustine, and Karol Wojtyła).
Currently, this topic is receiving increased attention amid urgent international discussions. Virtual world, modern technologies, and limit situations (such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine) have had a strong impact on the experience of friendship and love, significantly altering their form. Many researchers extensively contemplate whether the virtual form replaces real relationships and whether it can be universally recognized as their equivalent.
Global transformations have not only influenced the reevaluation of relationships, especially among the younger generation, but also emphasized the need to focus more on limit situations and the destructive and toxic aspects of relationships, which were previously explored more extensively in psychology and sociology.
Love and friendship embody a set of commonly acknowledged human behaviors, resisting confinement within the illusion of conventions or fitting into familiar patterns. They somewhat intertwine, appearing to attain genuine fulfillment when united and mutually influencing each other in harmony.
Despite captivating the interest of philosophers and researchers across diverse fields, but also the general population throughout history, fully capturing the essence and core of friendship and love proves to be an insurmountable challenge.
I aim to explore the topic from an interdisciplinary standpoint, delving into the broader aspects of friendship and love by incorporating disciplines like philosophy, psychology, and sociology into my analysis.
In this endeavor of seeking an answer to the question of whether friendship is a form of love, I will also involve therapists. They will complement my inquiries with their knowledge in the field of psychology.
Despite the numerous publications and diverse perspectives on the subject, it remains an ongoing and open issue and the research gap has not been completely addressed.
I am aware that it is impossible to exhaust the topic in one dissertation; therefore, I will focus on key aspects that are crucial to me.
I believe that my reflections will contribute to doing justice to the aforementioned human relationships.