The Nature of Love: Courtly and Romantic

by Irving Singer

An examination of ideas and ideals of medieval courtly love and the transition into later Romantic love, analyzing the work of Dante, Shakespeare, and Schopenhauer, among many others. Review ), "monumental" ( Boston Globe ), "one of the major works of philosophy in our century" ( Nous ), "wise and magisterial" ( Times Literary Supplement ), and a "masterpiece of critical thinking [that] is a timely, eloquent, and scrupulous account of what, after all, still makes the world go round" ( Christian Science Monitor ). In the second volume, Singer studies the ideas and ideals of medieval courtly love and nineteenth-century Romantic love, as well as the transition between these two perspectives. According to the traditions of courtly love in the twelfth century and thereafter, not only God but also human beings in themselves are capable of authentic love. The pursuit of love between man and woman was seen as a splendid ideal that ennobles both the lover and the beloved. It was something more than libidinal sexuality and involved sophisticated and highly refined courtliness that emulated religious love in its ability to create a holy union between the participants. Adherents to Romantic love in later centuries, affirmed the capacity of love to effect a merging between two people who thus became one. Singer analyzes the transition from courtly to Romantic by reference to the writings of many artists beginning with Dante and ending with Richard Wagner, as well as Neoplatonist philosophers of the Italian Renaissance, Descartes, Spinoza, Rousseau, Hume, Kant, Hegel, and Schopenhauer. In relation to romanticism itself, he distinguishes between two aspects—"benign romanticism" and "Romantic pessimism"—that took on renewed importance in the twentieth century.

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Psychology, Love

546 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1987

Reviews

[Luis Alatorre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mantiene el excelente estilo y lógica que el volumen anterior. La estructura que tiene ayuda para poder realizar una lectura mas dinámica y flexible, esto se agradece ya que puede servir fácilmente como material de consulta.
Conforme los autores son mas contemporáneos comenzar a sentir una gran familiaridad de ideas, es agradable reconocer el origen de muchas de ellas y tener la posibilidad de reflexión de nuestro pensamiento actual.
Es de especial agrado la sección en que aborda el pensamiento de Arthur Schopenhauer, revela un punto de vista diferente, fresco y preciso de partes obscuras de su obra.

[Patrícia Raquel Pereira · Rating 3 out of 5]

Being already acquainted with the philosophy of Irving Singer, I found this book to be a fine example of his romantic mindset and pluralistic views. The chapters evolve from the ideas of the Middle Ages to twentieth-century philosophers. It analyzes the concept of Love and ideas that correlate to it, mainly the interconnectedness between merging, oneness, and sexuality. It explores the optimistic as well as the pessimistic facets of romanticism.

[Cameron Macdonald · Rating 5 out of 5]

2nd of Singer's book trilogy. He continues proving his definition of love as value, commitment and attachment through the literature of the courtly and romantic eras of history.