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Love (Drugs), Happiness, and Morality
Vojin Rakić1,2
1Center for the Study of Bioethics (CSB), Belgrade, Belgrade Region, Serbia.
Bioethics
|October 27, 2025
Summary
This study explores the triple circular relationship between love, happiness, and morality. It suggests that love-enhancing substances, like psilocybin, can deepen this connection for voluntary moral enhancement.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Ethics
Background:
- Happiness and morality are often seen as circularly supportive.
- This study introduces love as a third element in this relationship.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the triple circular relationship between love, happiness, and morality.
- To investigate the potential of love-enhancing substances and guided meditation to deepen this relationship.
- To propose voluntary moral enhancement through 'love drugs' as an alternative to compulsory measures.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of the interplay between love, happiness, and moral behavior.
- Exploration of how prosocial behavior, love, and happiness mutually reinforce each other.
- Consideration of love-enhancing substances, specifically psilocybin, and guided meditation.
Main Results:
- A triple circular relationship exists where love, happiness, and morality mutually reinforce each other.
- Prosocial behavior is a key mediator in this cycle.
- Love-enhancing substances and meditation can potentially deepen this reinforcement.
Conclusions:
- Humans are motivated to use 'love drugs' due to their potential to increase happiness.
- Voluntary use of love drugs offers a more effective path to moral enhancement than compulsory methods.
- This approach contrasts with and potentially surpasses strategies focused on preventing 'ultimate harm'.
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