Lovers in Essence

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 Sren 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.