The Pursuit of Love: The Meaning in Life (Volume 2)

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 publishers Weekly ``love Is Freedom In The Midst Of Conditionality,'' Declares Humanistic Philosopher Singer In A Wise, Lucid, Profound Meditation On The Essential Role Of Love In Our Lives. Disputing Both Freud And Sartre, Who Believed That All Love Is At Bottom Self-love, The Mit Professor Regards Love As The Principal Means By Which We Seek Affective Relations To Persons, Things Or Ideals That Have Value And Importance To Us. Choosing Illustrative Examples From Literature, Opera, Film And Religion, Singer ( The Nature Of Love ) Plumbs The Diverse Manifestations Of Universal Emotion--sexual Love, Love Of Self, Parental And Filial Love, Friendship, Love Of Pets, Of Nature, Of Humanity And God. Although Singer Eschews Self-help Advice, Readers May Derive Practical Guidance From His Analysis Of Interdependent Love Relationships Whereby Each Partner Bestows Meaning And Value On The Other Without Sacrificing Autonomy. (may) 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 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 And Authoritative. 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. 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. Introduction: Love And Meaning -- 1. Two Myths About Love -- 2. Persons, Things, Ideals -- 3. Sexual Love -- 4. Love In Society -- 5. Religious Love -- 6. Civilization And Autonomy -- 7. Love, And Do As You Will. Irving Singer. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 177-178) And Index.

With a new preface by the authorIn 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. In this second volume of his Meaning in Life trilogy, Singer returns to the subject of his earlier work, exploring a different approach. Without denying his previous emphasis on the role of imagination and creativity, in this book Singer investigates the ability of them both to make one's life meaningful. A "systematic mapping" of the various facets of love (including sexual love, love in society, and religious love), The Pursuit of Love is an extended essay that offers Singer's own philosophical and psychological theory of love. 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.Irving Singer Library

"A book that deserves to be as widely read as Erich Fromm's The Art of Loving." Kathryn Hughes Literary Review, London

Describes sexual & religious love/love of parents, friends & peers/love of self & love of God/wanting to love & be loved.

"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 IntroductionIn 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 An acclaimed philosopher offers a systematic mapping of the various facets of love.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. In this second volume of his Meaning in Life trilogy, Singer returns to the subject of his earlier work, exploring a different approach. Without denying his previous emphasis on the role of imagination and creativity, in this book Singer investigates the ability of them both to make one's life meaningful. A “systematic mapping” of the various facets of love (including sexual love, love in society, and religious love), The Pursuit of Love is an extended essay that offers Singer's own philosophical and psychological theory of love.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. Contents......Page 8 Preface to the Irving Singer Library Edition......Page 10 Preface......Page 18 Introduction: Love & Meaning......Page 24 Two Myths about Love......Page 39 Persons, Things, Ideals......Page 54 Sexual Love......Page 67 Love in Society......Page 96 Religious Love......Page 131 Civilization & Autonomy......Page 148 Love, & Do As You Will......Page 167 Notes......Page 200 Index......Page 202 This text explores the distinction between wanting to love and wanting to be loved, and examines love as merging and love as acceptance of another's uniqueness and autonomy. Attempts to differentiate between passion and reason, love and civilization, and animal and human love are disscussed.