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

Irving Singer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1995

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.

Editorial Reviews

From 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.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This book builds on Singer's three-volume The Nature of Love (LJ 5/1/66, LJ 11/15/ 84, LJ 11/15/87) and his Meaning in Life (Free Pr., 1991). In the latter, he held that meaning lies in the gratification and fulfillment we find in pursuing and attaining freely chosen goals. In this volume, he first distinguishes persons, things, and ideals and then, in terms of these concepts, discusses sexual love, parental and filial love, friendship, and love of one's nation, of humankind, of the cosmos, and of God. He analyzes different aspects of love, such as wanting to love vis-a-vis wanting to be loved; the libidinal, erotic, and romantic; love as merging with another person; and love as respecting another person's uniqueness and autonomy. Singer draws on a variety of disciplines to illustrate the concrete content of his carefully stated analyses. Highly recommended for large libraries and scholars in general.
Robert Hoffman, York Coll., CUNY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (September 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801852404
• ISBN-13: 978-0801852404
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,132,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A FRUSTRATING READ . . ., April 6, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Pursuit of Love: The Meaning in Life (Hardcover)

Maybe it was my fault . . . I read this book for some answers: about what love was, how it functioned, what it meant in our world. Singer's main thesis seems to be that love is a 'search for meaning' but this theory is never really elucidated - why do we need to search for meaning? How does love function to provide 'meaning'? Why 'love' as our major meaningful activity, rather than - sport? reading? collecting coins? Singer never seems to explain these things. Singer spends considerable time exploring possibilities, and examining competing theories for a particular facet of the experience of love. All too often, these enquiries conclude with, 'Oh well, it's all a grand mystery' or 'That's what makes us human after all.' Grrr! Having noted what made me cross and bothered when reading this book, I must say that Singer did have some interesting observations. I liked his idea that there was no such thing as 'love at first sight.' He explains that the person we fall for this way is one final choice in a series of hundreds of thousands of choices in our lives which simply make the person 'appear' to be instantly 'the one.' He also talks about why 'love' as a pursuit today is increasingly unfashionable, and his discussion of this did make me think. This book is not without value, but there is a lot of 'waffle' and aimlessness in it, some copping out of the tough questions, some failure to fully explain ideas, and a few old-fashioned values and comments. Mildly interesting, but not at all comprehensive.

4.0 out of 5 stars A Dialectic, May 17, 2009

By 

Imogen (USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Pursuit of Love: The Meaning in Life (Volume 2) (Paperback)

A dialectic of philosophers', psychologists', and imaginative writers' opinions about love and sexuality, Singer's book accomplishes a philosopher's aim -- examine the logic (faults and benefits) of Freud, Sartre, St Augustine, Bergson, and Spinoza among others, on the subject, reaching the author's distinct opinion. The scope includes country, family, self, and humanity (102, 113); appraisal and bestowal; empathy, sympathy, and compassion (111); changing love (45); libido, eroticism, and imagination; religion's association with power, knowledge, and goodness (119); and autonomy underlaying happiness.