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The Oxford Handbook of the Philosophy of Love offers a wide array of original essays from leading philosophers on the nature and value of love.
About the author
Christopher Grau is Associate Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Clemson University. He specializes in ethics, topics in metaphysics, and philosophical work on film. He has published articles in a variety of journals including the
Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, the Journal of Moral Philosophy, Midwest Studies in Philosophy, Philosophical Topics, The Review of Philosophy and Psychology, and
The Southern Journal of Philosophy. He is also the editor of three books. The most recent,
Understanding Love: Philosophy, Film, and Fiction, is co-edited with Susan Wolf and published by Oxford University Press.
Aaron Smuts was an Associate Professor of Philosophy at Rhode Island College. His interests ranged across a wide variety of topics in theoretical ethics. Aaron published over three dozen articles in a variety of books and academic journals, including
American Philosophical Quarterly, the Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Midwest Studies in Philosophy, Pacific Philosophic Quarterly, Philosophical Studies, and the
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. He is the author of the book
Welfare, Meaning, and Worth.
Summary
The Oxford Handbook of the Philosophy of Love offers a wide array of original essays on the nature and value of love. The editors, Christopher Grau and Aaron Smuts, have assembled an esteemed group of thinkers, including both established scholars and younger voices. The volume contains thirty-three essays addressing both issues about love as well as key philosophers who have contributed to the philosophy of love, such as Plato, Kierkegaard, Schopenhauer, and Murdoch. The topics range from central issues about the nature and variety of love, the possibility of its rational justification, and whether it is an emotion, to the significance of love for law, economics, morality, and free will. The volume also contains an introduction to the subject as well as essays on love's relation to jealousy, religion, knowledge, biotechnology, and several other topics. This wide-ranging handbook will be a key resource for specialists working on the philosophy of love, and a helpful guide for those looking to learn more about the area.
