# Lovers in Essence: A Kierkegaardian Defense of Romantic Love - Hardcover

by **Sharon Krishek** (Author)

Romantic love is a defining phenomenon in human existence, and an object of heightened interest for literature, art, popular culture, and psychology. But what _is_ romantic love and _why_ is it typically experienced as so central?

Sharon Krishek's primary aim in this work is to explore the nature of romantic love through the philosophy of S ren Kierkegaard, and in doing so, to defend it as a moral phenomenon. She does so by developing a connection between love and _selfhood_, here explained in terms of one's distinct individuality. To be a self, she claims, is to possess a "name," that is, an individual essence. It is when we love that we regard people by their names; we respond to who they truly are. Therefore, love is a _correspondence_ between essences: if Jane Eyre loves Edward Rochester, she responds to him being "who he is," by virtue of her being "who _she_ is." The conception of being thus correspondent has important implications as to the moral and spiritual value of romantic love.

Relying on Kierkegaard's analysis of the self, of faith, and of love--even if sometimes in a way that departs from Kierkegaard's explicit position--Krishek explores these implications, construing romantic love as a desirable phenomenon, emotionally, morally, and spiritually.

### Author Biography

**Sharon** **Krishek** is a Senior Lecturer in the philosophy department of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She is the author of _Kierkegaard on Faith and Love_ (Cambridge University Press, 2009) and _Kierkegaard's Philosophy of Love_ (in Hebrew, Dvir Press, 2011), as well as numerous articles in journals and book collections. She is co-editor with Jeffrey Hanson of _Kierkegaard's_ The Sickness unto Death_: A Critical Guide_ (Cambridge University Press, forthcoming).

**Number of Pages:** 256

**Dimensions:** 0.86 x 8.48 x 5.87 IN

**Publication Date:** February 28, 2022

## Details

- **Price:** 179.55 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 179.55 USD | In stock |

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- Lovers in Essence: A Kierkegaardian Defense of Romantic Love - Hardcover

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