The short reading can be found here. 

The paper opens with Frankfurt's account of love as involuntary (we fall into it rather than choose it), non-utilitarian (we care about the beloved for their own sake), and rigidly focused (we love the particular person, not a replaceable set of traits). Jones then applies this framework to an unusual case: what if his girlfriend suddenly became a worm? He builds his answer around three moves — conceivability (can he even imagine loving her as a worm?), anti-essentialism (is anything about her strictly necessary to her being "her" — digestion, genetics, self-consciousness?), and volitional possibility (borrowing philosopher Rachel Cooper's idea that some commitments are consistent with our "deepest cares" even in scenarios we never planned for). The paper doesn't land on a clean verdict — it ends by admitting the tension between essentialist and anti-essentialist views of identity remains unresolved, and that any answer has real limits. As you read, watch how a silly premise is used to seriously pressure-test what we actually mean when we say we love someone as a particular individual rather than a bundle of qualities.

Questions to consider:

1) Frankfurt says love is "rigidly focused" on the particular person rather than the type of thing they are — do you find that convincing, or does love always track some set of qualities?

2) Jones distinguishes between things that are "essential" to a person (genetics, self-consciousness) and things that aren't (digestive capacity). Where would you draw that line, and why?

3) Is loving someone through a radical transformation (worm, coma, dementia) fundamentally the same kind of commitment, or does the comparison break down somewhere?

4) Jones leans on Cooper's idea of "volitional possibility" — that love can bind us to cares we didn't know we had until tested. Do you think love really works this way, or is this too convenient an escape hatch?

5) The paper never gives a straight answer to its own title question. Is that intellectual honesty, or a dodge? What would you say if asked?

These sessions are participant-driven discussions focused on philosophical essays, facilitated by a trained CU Boulder philosopher. Our goal at each discussion is to build a philosophical dialogue by investigating as a community of thinkers. Each session focuses on a philosophical text, but we do not regard the authors we read as unquestionable authorities. Rather, we consider each author to be another voice in our shared dialogue. 

To prepare, please read the selected text to the best of your ability. Most months you'll find a reading guide linked above. If you are unable to read ahead, please come anyway. We recommend bring a copy of the reading with you - digital or printed out.

At the discussion, after brief introductions and a review of the discussion policies, the facilitator will ask participants to share questions and ideas for group discussion.  The facilitator will then guide the group in working through as many of their questions as possible before recapping and wrapping up the discussion.

No background in philosophy is expected or required. We are excited to discuss the ideas raised by your interaction with the text!

Click here for our discussion guidelines.

Boulder Public Library "Classics of Philosophy" reading group:

We used to have a group just like this group, but meeting on the 2nd Monday of each month. This group has closed, but you can still brows the list of past sessions for ideas on things to read!

Great philosophy podcasts

The History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps - Over 350 episodes covering various philosophers and topics. Includes episode series on Indian philosophy and Africana philosophy.

Hi-Phi Nation - approximately 40 episodes (as of 2020) that discuss philosophical ideas in contemporary contexts.  The most recent seasons have focused on issues of justice and politics.

Discussion groups

Grey Havens Philosophy - A Longmont, CO based nonprofit running weekly and monthly philosophical discussion groups for all ages.

Your local philosophers!

Philosophy Department at the University of Colorado - Boulder