In the Name of Love: Romantic Ideology and Its Victims

by Aaron Ben-Ze'ev, Ruhama Goussinsky

We yearn to experience the idealized love in so many novels, movies, poems, and popular songs. Ironically, it is the idealization of love that arms it with its destructive power. Popular media consistently remind us that love is all we need, but statistics concerning the rate of depression and suicides after divorce or romantic break up remind us what might happen if "all that we need" is taken away. This book is about our ideals of love, our experiences of love, the actual disparity between the two, and the manners of coping with this disparity.L A major study case of the book concerns men who have murdered their wives or partners allegedly "out of love." It is estimated that over 30% of all female murder victims in the United States die at the hands of former or present spouses or boyfriends. How can murdering a loved one be associated with the assumed moral and altruistic love? Not only is love intrinsically ambivalent, but it can also give rise to dangerous consequences.
Some of the worst evils have been committed in the name of love.L A unique collaboration between a leading philosopher in the field of emotions and a social scientist, In the Name of Love presents fascinating insights into romantic love and it's future in modern society.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology

298 pages, Hardcover

First published May 14, 2008

Reviews

[Romzanul Islam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: What Is Romantic Ideology? The Psychological Effects of Romantic Love and A Review of In the Name of Love (2008) by Ben-Ze’ev and Goussinsky

Aaron Ben-Ze’ev and Ruhama Goussinsky’s In the Name of Love: Romantic Ideology and Its Victims is a provocative and deeply thoughtful investigation of the cultural, psychological, and sociological dimensions of romantic love.

Aaron Ben-Ze’ev and Ruhama Goussinsky delve into the intricate tapestry of romantic love, unraveling its idealizations and the potential perils they harbor. The authors challenge the conventional glorification of love, urging readers to confront the darker facets that often lurk beneath its celebrated veneer.

Fundamentally, In the Name of Love interrogates the pervasive and often unquestioned ideology of romantic love—a force that has shaped human relationships for centuries, yet one that remains fraught with contradictions, illusions, and, at times, profound suffering.

The authors of In the Name of Love, a philosopher and a sociologist, bring a unique interdisciplinary lens to their analysis, weaving together philosophical inquiry, psychological insights, and sociological critique to unravel the complexities of love as both a personal experience and a cultural construct.

Their work challenges readers to confront the ways in which romantic ideals, perpetuated through literature, media, and societal norms, can lead to unrealistic expectations, emotional turmoil, and even harm.

Please read the whole article at: https://www.probinism.com/in-the-name...

[Nicole]

A critical look into our cultural assumptions and expectations on romantic love. Reading this book felt like looking at an x-ray - it’s analytical, it’s useful, it makes a lot of sense, but it’s a bit off-putting because of how mechanical and detached it reads…especially on a topic as intimate and personal as love.

But I genuinely learned a lot! And it helped soothe my anxieties and provided a convincing account of what a healthy conception of romantic love can be like.