What does C.S. Lewis say about the love we call “affection”? Group of answer choices It’s the least specifically human of the loves. It’s hard to earn. It’s essentially bad. It’s the most human of the loves.
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is: It’s the least specifically human of the loves.
Explanation:
C.S. Lewis, in his book The Four Loves, explores different kinds of love and categorizes them into four types: Affection, Friendship, Eros (romantic love), and Charity (or Agape, divine love). Regarding Affection, Lewis describes it as the most basic and least complex form of love among the four. It is often the kind of love we experience instinctively and naturally towards family members, close neighbors, or those with whom we have frequent contact.
Lewis emphasizes that Affection is the least specifically human of the loves because it is grounded in familiarity and habit rather than choice or moral character. It can be found even in animals, such as pets and their owners, which indicates its more instinctual, less reflective nature. This love doesn’t necessarily depend on the qualities or virtues of the other person; it often arises simply because of proximity and routine interaction.
Unlike Friendship or Eros, which require deeper emotional or intellectual connection and often involve choice, Affection is automatic and simple. It’s a gentle, everyday love that cushions our lives and provides a base level of emotional warmth and connection. However, because it is so automatic, it can also be fragile or taken for granted.
Lewis does not say Affection is “hard to earn” or “essentially bad.” Nor does he claim it is the “most human” of the loves — rather, Friendship or Charity would be closer to that description because they involve more conscious choice and moral decision-making, which are distinctive human traits.
Thus, Affection is basic, natural, and foundational, but also the most animal-like of the loves in Lewis’s framework.