FROM EROS TO AGAPE. A MULTIDISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVE ON LOVE
RRSS 2020 Nr 18 - Romanian Review of Social Sciences
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Authors:
• Elena NEDELCU -
Keywords: love, basic need, eros, philia, agape.
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Abstract:
This paper is a theoretical approach that aims to try to highlight the multiple meanings of love. I take the risk of analyzing a much too analyzed concept, of being reproached that there was nothing more to say, that too much has been written about love, but too little has been understood and even less has been done. I take the risk of being reproached that, as a matter of fact, it is the lack of love that is a social problem, not the lack of analysis, theories about love; and if this is the case, what good is all the effort? The implied idea in the introduction is that the imperative of love is not a restriction but a premise of freedom. ‘If you love, you can do what you want!’, because you can only do good. After the introduction, the present study aims to treat love as one of man’s basic needs. Synthetizing some reference points in this domain, the next chapter intends to achieve a multidisciplinary approach to love, not only from the perspective of Christianity, but also from those of philosophy and psychology.