The Pursuit of Love: The Meaning in Life - Hardcover

Singer, Professor Irving

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0801847923 ISBN 13: 9780801847929

Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994

Synopsis

"Love is not merely a contributor--one among others--to a meaningful life. In its own way it may underlie all other forms of meaning."--from the Introduction

In his widely acclaimed trilogy The Nature of Love, Irving Singer traced the development of the concept of love in history and literature from the Greeks to the twentieth century. Now in a sequel to his previous work, Singer explores a different approach. A "systematic mapping" of the various facets of love, the present volume is an extended essay that offers a philosophical and psychiatric theory of his own. Rich in insight into literature, the history of ideas, and the complexities of our being, The Pursuit of Love is a thought-provoking inquiry into fundamental aspects of all human relationships.

"The Pursuit of Love is a unique achievement in that it demonstrates the relation between love, value, and meaning. It is overall a work of great wisdom that I found to be illuminating and personally enriching."--Arnold H. Modell, M.D., Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School

About this title

Review:

"Delicious and cerebral. Its stars are Freud and Plato and so, delightfully, is as much about the mysterious agitations of sex as it is about the spirituality of love. Singer is clearly the Stephen Hawking of the metaphysics and history of love." -- Alan Soble, author of The Structure of Love

Synopsis:

In his trilogy, "The Nature of Love", Irving Singer traces the development of the concept of love in history and literature from the Greeks to the 20th century. Now, in a sequel to his previous work, Singer offers a different approach. A "systematic mapping" of the various facets of love, the present volume is an extended essay that offers a philosophical and psychiatric theory of his own. From sexual love to religious love, from love of parents and children to love of friends and peers, from love of self to love of other creatures, nature, or God, "The Pursuit of Love" is wide-ranging. Singer explores the distinction between wanting to love and wanting to be loved. He examines love as merging and love as acceptance of another's uniqueness and autonomy. And he discusses attempts by various thinkers to differentiate between phenomena such as passion and reason, love and civilization, and animal and human love. In mapping and exploring this diversity of concepts, Singer explains, his role throughout remains that of a humanistic philosopher rather than counselor or problem-solver.

With insights into literature, the history of ideas, and the complexities of our being, "The Pursuit of Love" aims to be a thought-provoking inquiry into fundamental aspects of all human relationships.

About this edition

• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 0801847923
• ISBN 13: 9780801847929
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 200