Philosophy U2 in \"We Get to Carry

Philosophy U2

In "We Get To Carry Each Other: U2 and Kierkegaard on Authentic Love," Mike (2007) compares U2 front man Bono with philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. The author draws the unlikely connections between a 19th century Danish philosopher and a 20th century Irish pop-rock singer by claiming that the two men have similar takes on the theme of love. In particular, Kierkegaard outlined different types of love and lauded the supremacy of authentic love. Authentic love can be difficult to find in the lyrics of rock and pop songs, notes Austin (2007), which is why it is remarkable that Bono reflects authentic love in his music and especially in the lyrics of U2 songs. Moreover, Austin (2007) compares Kierkegaard's analysis of the stages of human moral and spiritual growth with Bono's persona as a rock star. Kierkegaard's stages of human moral and spiritual growth are described as "spheres of existence," or as stages of life, including the aesthetic, the ethical, and the religious.

The problem with poetic love, according to Kierkegaard, is that it is narrow and self-centered. Erotic love, as Kierkegaard referred to it, or romantic love, as it is commonly called, is "a counterfeit version of authentic love," (Austin, 2007). It is counterfeit because it is not devoted to the well being of the other person but to the act of possession, or the feeling of being possessed, by another. Elation and joy related to erotic love are temporary and fleeting, not eternal like authentic love. Moreover, erotic love is all about the self. It is about how the person feels when in love, and how the person feels when the heart has been broken. Erotic love is especially problematic because it presumes that one single person is the object of love, rather than understanding that genuine love is about the love for humanity. Authentic love is transcendent and selfless, like the love of mother for child or of social worker for the community. For Kierkegaard, authentic love is a concrete moral duty.

Erotic love can lead to authentic love. When erotic love is transmuted into selfless service or self-sacrifice, then it may be authentic love. Erotic love must be sublimated to the divine in order to be authentic, something that Bono innately understands and communicates through music. According to Austin (2007), it is actually possible for authentic love to contain an erotic, sensual component. Sex is not demonized by either Kierkegaard or Bono, who simply want to present a higher form of romantic love and affection than what is traditionally meant by poets and rock stars. In fact, when a person engages in a deep and meaningful relationship with another human being, that relationship has the potential to become spiritually uplifting. The key is to cultivate a mutual duty to honor and respect the other person, setting aside thoughts of ego for thoughts of altruism and mutual kindness. As Bono puts it in "A Man and a Woman," "I could never take a chance, of losing love to find romance." Bono is clearly differentiating between love and romance, or between authentic love and erotic love.