Part of a series on Love
Basic Aspects
Love
Love (scientific views)
Human bonding
Historically
Courtly love
Greek love
Religious love
Types of emotion
Erotic love
Platonic love
Familial love
Puppy love
Romantic love
See also
Unrequited love
Problem of love
Interpersonal relationship
Sexuality
Sexual intercourse
Valentine's Day
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Romance is a general term that refers to an intimate and often sexual relationship between two people. Love is any of a number of Emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong Affection. Love is any of a number of Emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong Affection. Overview Psychologists have created many descriptive theories of love in an effort to understand the full range of experiences and behaviors associated with love Human bonding refers to the development of a close Interpersonal relationship between family members or friends Courtly love was a Medieval European conception of ennobling love which found its genesis in the ducal and princely courts of Aquitaine, Provence Greek love is a relatively modern coinage (generally placed within quotation marks intended as a reference to Male bonding and intimate relations between males as practised Whether religious love can be expressed in similar terms to interpersonal love is a matter for philosophical debate Amor Platonicus The term amor platonicus was coined as early as the 15th century by the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino In Sociology, familial love is a type affinity or natural affection felt between members of a group bound by common ancestry or blood ties or through Friendship and Puppy love is an informal term for feelings of Love, particularly between young people during Adolescence, so-called for its resemblance to the adoring worshipful Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired Altruism is selfless concern for the welfare of others It is a traditional Virtue in many cultures and central to many religious traditions An interpersonal relationship is a relatively long-term association between two or more people Generally speaking human sexuality is how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings Sexual intercourse, in its biological sense is the act in which the male reproductive organ (in humans and other higher animals enters the female reproductive tract Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a Holiday celebrated on February 14 Physical intimacy is sensual proximity and/or touching It can be enjoyed by itself and/or be an expression of Feelings (such as close Friendship Generally speaking human sexuality is how people experience and express themselves as sexual beings ^[1] It is an exaggerated^[2] or decorated expression of love. Love is any of a number of Emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong Affection. ^[3] It also refers to a feeling of excitement associated with love. The word feeling has several possible definitions The word was first used in the English language to describe the physical sensation of Touch either through experience ^[4] Historically, the term "romance" did not necessarily imply love relationships, but rather was seen as an artistic expression of one's innermost desires; sometimes including love, sometimes not. Romance is still sometimes viewed as an expressionistic, or artful form, but within the context of "romantic love" relationships it usually implies an expression of one's love, or one's deep emotional desires to connect with another person. Art refers to a diverse range of Human activities creations and expressions that are appealing to the Senses or Emotions of a human individual "Romance" in this sense can therefore be defined as attachment, fascination, or enthusiasm for something or someone, in literature similar exaggerated narration is called romance. Enthusiasm (ἐνθουσιασμός enthousiasmos) originally meant Inspiration or possession by a divine Afflatus or by the presence of a Literature is the Art of written works Literally translated the word means "acquaintance with letters" (from Latin littera letter A narrative or story is a construct created in a suitable format (written spoken poetry prose images song Theater, or Dance) that describes a sequence of

Contents 1 Overview 2 General definition of romantic love 2.1 Within a relationship 2.2 Historical definition of romantic love 3 Gender differences and romance 4 Common practices of romance 5 The psychology of romantic love 6 Romance and value 7 Tragedy and other social issues of romance 8 See also 9 Notes and references 10 Further reading

Overview

Romantic love is contrasted with platonic love. Amor Platonicus The term amor platonicus was coined as early as the 15th century by the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino All usages of platonic love precludes sexual relations, yet only in the modern usage does it take on a fully asexual sense, rather than the classical sense in which sexual drives are sublimated. Asexuality is a Sexual orientation that describes individuals who do not experience Sexual attraction. Sublimation often tends to be forgotten in casual thought about love; it can be found in psychology and Nietzsche. In Psychology, sublimation is a coping mechanism It has its roots in the Nietzschean & psychoanalytical approach and is often also referred to as a type Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15 1844 August 25 1900 ( was a nineteenth-century German philosopher and classical philologist Unrequited love can be romantic, if only in a comic or tragic sense, or in the sense that sublimation itself is comparable to romance, where the spirituality of both art and egalitarian ideals is combined with strong character and emotions. Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired This situation is typical of the period of Romanticism, but that term is distinct from any romance that might arise within it. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the ^[5] Romantic love might be requited emotionally and physically while not being consummated, to which one or both parties might agree. As a Verb, consummate means to bring something to its completion such as a transaction concept plan or action

In romantic love, according to the more modern Western definitions of the term, lovers often transcend worldly qualities, not only seeking deeper love, but perhaps also raising questions about a more ultimate meaning (not an uncommon sort of question in any case). The term Western world, the West or the Occident ( Latin: occidens -sunset -west as distinct from the Orient) can have multiple meanings This criticism of love is far from new in philosophy, but owes a great debt to Schopenhauer and Kierkegaard. Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (ˈsœːɐn ˈkʰiɐ̯kəˌɡ̊ɒˀ in Danish Anglicized as;) Schopenhauer wrote at length about the conflict between reproductive instincts and personal fulfilment, and preceded Freud in this regard. This area of concern, related to philosophical and religious questions of identity and personhood, is addressed below (5). Furthermore, romance is not only dispersed with and even inherently related to family life, but often is to some extent or entirely free, in the sense free of interruption, or in some more radical sense, as free from various customs and traditions.

Also, romance is, or has become, a major aspect of postmodernity, and its criteria primarily includes fashion and irony. Postmodernity (also spelled post-modernity or the pejorative postmodern condition) is generally used to describe the economic and/or cultural state or condition Sexual revolutions have brought such changes about. The sexual revolution refers to the well-documented changes in social thought and codes of behaviour related to sexuality throughout the Western world that continues to evolve Wit or irony encompass the inherent instability of romance, fine-tuned to its late modern peculiarities. This phenomenon is often expressed in popular culture as "throwing game. " Love and marriage clearly were always ironic, but not to this degree. In Marxism the romantic might be considered an example of alienation. Marxism is the political philosophy and practice derived from the work of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. In his theory of mimetic desire, Girard attempts to make sense of such phenomena, focusing on the conflict between romance's individuality and jealousy. René Girard (born December 25, 1923, Avignon, France) is a world-renowned French Historian, Literary critic Yet in its independent mode (i. e. , rather than as a change within a relationship) it tends to be a tragic region lying somewhere between on the one hand an ethical, and on the other hand an ascetic (or possibly debauched) life, combining significance with ennui.

General definition of romantic love

Within a relationship

Romantic love is a relative term, that distinguishes moments and situations within interpersonal relationships. Compare Moral relativism, Aesthetic relativism, Social constructionism, Cultural relativism, and Cognitive relativism. An interpersonal relationship is a relatively long-term association between two or more people There is often, initially, more emphasis on the emotions (especially those of love, intimacy, compassion, appreciation, and general "liking") rather than physical pleasure. An emotion is a mental and physiological state associated with a wide variety of feelings thoughts and behaviours Love is any of a number of Emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong Affection. The meaning of intimacy varies from relationship to relationship and within a given relationship Compassion is a profound human Emotion prompted by the pain of others Appreciation is a term used in Accounting relating to the increase in value of an Asset. But, romantic love, in the abstract sense of the term, is traditionally referred to as involving a mix of emotional and sexual desire for another as a person. The term person is used in Common sense to mean an individual Human being. However, Lisa Diamond, a University of Utah psychology professor, proposes that sexual desire and romantic love are functionally independent^[6] and also, as an additional claim to the topic, that romantic love is not intrinsically oriented to same-gender or other-gender partners; and that the links between love and desire are bidirectional as opposed to unilateral. The University of Utah (referred to locally as ' The U' or ' the U of U') is a publicly funded Research university in Salt Lake Psychology (from Greek grc ψῡχή psȳkhē, "breath life soul" and grc -λογία -logia) is an Academic and Furthermore, Diamond does not state that one's sex has priority over another sex in romantic love, because as already mentioned Diamond's theory seems to purport the idea that it is possible for someone who is heterosexual to fall in love with someone of the same gender, and for someone who is homosexual to fall in love with someone of a different gender. Heterosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the opposite sex or to a heterosexual orientation Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. ^[7]

If one thinks of romantic love not as simply erotic freedom and expression, but as a breaking of that expression from a prescribed custom, romantic love is modern. There may have been a tension in primitive societies between marriage and the erotic, but this was mostly expressed in taboos regarding the menstrual cycle and birth. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** ^[8]

Before the 18th century, as now, there were many marriages that were not arranged, and arose out of more or less spontaneous relationships. But also after the 18th century, illicit relationships took on a more independent role. In bourgeois marriage, illicitness may have become more formidable and likely to cause tension. In Ladies of the Leisure Class, Bonnie G. Smith depicts courtship and marriage rituals that may be viewed as oppressive to both men and women. She writes "When the young women of the Nord married, they did so without illusions of love and romance. They acted within a framework of concern for the reproduction of bloodlines according to financial, professional, and sometimes political interests. " Subsequent sexual revolution has lessened the conflicts arising out of liberalism, but not eliminated them. The sexual revolution refers to the well-documented changes in social thought and codes of behaviour related to sexuality throughout the Western world that continues to evolve

Anthropologists such as Claude Levi-Strauss show that there were complex forms of courtship in ancient as well as contemporary primitive societies. Claude Lévi-Strauss (klod levi stʁos born 28 November 1908 is a French Anthropologist. But there may not be evidence that members of such societies formed love relationships distinct from their established customs in a way that would parallel modern romance. ^[9]

Romantic love is then a relative term within any sexual relationship, but not relative when considered in contrast with custom. Within an existing relationship romantic love can be defined as a temporary freeing or optimizing of intimacy, either in a particularly luxurious manner (or the opposite as in the "natural"), or perhaps in greater spirituality, irony, or peril to the relationship. The meaning of intimacy varies from relationship to relationship and within a given relationship It may seem like a contradiction that romance is opposed to spirituality and yet would be strengthened by it, but the fleeting quality of romance might stand out in greater clarity as a couple explore a higher meaning.

The cultural traditions of marriage and betrothal are the most basic customs in conflict with romance, however it is possible that romance and love can exist between the partners within those customs. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** Betrothal is a formal state of engagement to be married. Historically betrothal was a formal Contract, blessed or officiated by a religious authority Conflict is a state of discord caused by the actual or perceived opposition of Needs values and interests Shakespeare and Kierkegaard describe similar viewpoints, to the effect that marriage and romance are not harmoniously in tune with each other. William Shakespeare ( baptised Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (ˈsœːɐn ˈkʰiɐ̯kəˌɡ̊ɒˀ in Danish Anglicized as;) In Measure for Measure, for example, ". Measure for Measure is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1603 or 1604 . . there has not been, nor is there at this point, any display of affection between Isabella and the Duke, if by affection we mean something concerned with sexual attraction. The two at the end of the play love each other as they love virtue. "^[10] Isabella, like all women, needs love, and she may reject marriage with the Duke because he seeks to beget an heir with her for her virtues, and she is not happy with the limited kind of love that implies. Shakespeare is arguing that marriage because of its purity can not simply incorporate romance. The extramarital nature of romance is also clarified by John Updike in his novel Gertrude and Claudius, as well as by Hamlet. John Hoyer Updike (born March 18 1932 in Reading, Pennsylvania) is an American Novelist, Poet, Short story Gertrude and Claudius is a novel by John Updike. It uses the known sources of Shakespeare's Hamlet to tell a story that draws on a rather straightforward Hamlet is a Tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601 It is also found in the film Braveheart, or rather in the life of Isabella of France. Braveheart is a 1995 historical action-drama movie produced and directed by Mel Gibson, who also starred in the title role Isabella of France (c 1295 &ndash August 22, 1358) known as the She-Wolf of France, was the Queen consort of Edward II of

Romance can also be tragic in its conflict with society. Tolstoy also focuses on the romantic limitations of marriage, and Anna Karenina prefers death to being married to her fiancée. This article is about the Tolstoy family, for other meanings see Tolstoy (disambiguation Tolstoy, or Tolstoi Anna Karenina ( Анна Каренина) also Anglicised as Anna Karenin, is a Novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy Furthermore, in the speech about marriage that is given in Kierkegaard's Either/Or, Kierkegaard attempts to show that it is because marriage is lacking in passion fundamentally, that the nature of marriage, unlike romance, is explainable by a man who has experience of neither marriage nor love. Published in two volumes in 1843 Either/Or (original Danish title Enten-Eller) is an influential book written by the Danish philosopher

In the following excerpt, from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Romeo, in saying "all combined, save what thou must combine By holy marriage" implies that it is not marriage with Juliet that he seeks but simply to be joined with her romantically. William Shakespeare ( baptised Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the That "I pray That thou consent to marry us" implies that the marriage means the removal of the social obstacle between the two opposing families, not that marriage is sought by Romeo with Juliet for any other particular reason, as adding to their love or giving it any more meaning.

"Then plainly know my heart's dear love is set On the fair daughter of rich Capulet: As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine; And all combined, save what thou must combine By holy marriage: when and where and how We met, we woo'd and made exchange of vow, I'll tell thee as we pass; but this I pray, That thou consent to marry us to-day. " --Romeo and Juliet, Act II, Scene II

Romantic love, however, may also be classified according to two categories, "popular romance" and "divine"(or "spiritual") romance. Popular romance may include but is not limited to the following types: idealistic, normal intense (such as the emotional aspect of "falling in love"), predictable as well as unpredictable, consuming (meaning consuming of time, energy and emotional withdrawals and bids), intense but out of control (such as the aspect of "falling out of love") material and commercial (such as societal gain mentioned in a later section of this article), physical and sexual, and finally grand and demonstrative. "Falling in love" is a mainly Western term used to describe the process of moving from a feeling of neutrality towards someone to one of Love. Divine (or spiritual) romance may include, but is not limited to these following types: realistic, as well as plausible unrealistic, optimistic as well as pessimistic (depending upon the particular beliefs held by each person within the relationship. ), abiding (e. g. the theory that each person had a predetermined stance as an agent of choice; such as "choosing a husband" or "choosing a soul mate. "), non-abiding (e. g. the theory that we do not choose our actions, and therefore our romantic love involvement has been drawn from sources outside of ourselves), predictable as well as unpredictable, self control (such as obedience and sacrifice within the context of the relationship) or lack thereof (such as disobedience within the context of the relationship), emotional and personal, soulful (in the theory that the mind, soul, and body, are one connected entity), intimate, and infinite (such as the idea that love itself or the love of a god or God's "unconditional" love is or could be everlasting, if particular beliefs were, in fact, true. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity. )^[11]

Historical definition of romantic love

In an article presented by Henry Gruenbaum, one argument is that many "therapists mistakenly believe that romantic love is a phenomenon unique to Western cultures and first expressed by the troubadours of the Middle Ages" (referencing Fisher, 1995). Psychotherapy is an Interpersonal, relational intervention used by trained psychotherapists to aid clients in problems of living A phenomenon (from Greek φαινόμενoν, pl φαινόμενα - phenomena) is any observable occurrence A troubadour ( IPA:, originally) was a composer and performer of Occitan Lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100&ndash1350 He continues stating also that "a recent survey of the anthropological literature by Jankowiak and Fisher (1992) found evidence of romantic love in every culture for which there were adequate data. For instance, an 80-year old Taita man recalled his fourth wife with words that could come from a Valentine card: 'She was the wife of my heart. Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a Holiday celebrated on February 14 '" Gruenbaum argues that it was mainly Christian theologians who historically wrote the most material about romantic love (referencing Solomon Higgins, 1991). A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Theology is the study of a god or the gods from a religious perspective He states that these particular "philosophers were primarily concerned about" romantic love's "allegedly subversive effects on society and the concomitant need to control such an irrational emotion. " According to Gruenbaum, the definition of romantic love identifies three main features: "1. Feelings of longing for the other, including the desire to be intimate with them both sexually and psychologically, and feelings of loss and loneliness during separations. For example, Napoleon wrote to his empress Josephine: 'I have not spent a day without loving you; I have not spent a night without embracing you. Napoleon Bonaparte (15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821 was a French military and political leader who had a significant impact on the History of Europe. . . ', 2. The experience of the beloved as special, idealized, necessary for one's happiness. . . ,"[eg. "Zelda Fitzgerald asked F. Scott Fitzgerald shortly after they met. Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald (July 24 1900 – March 10 1948 born Zelda Sayre in Montgomery Alabama, was a novelist and the wife of writer F Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24 1896 – December 21 1940 was an American writer of Novels and Short stories, whose works are evocative of the 'I feel like you had me ordered - and I was delivered to you. '(quoted in Fraser, 1976, p. 143)], and 3. The preoccupation with and overevaluation of the loved one. "^[12]

Historians believe that the actual English word "romance" developed from a vernacular dialect within the French language, meaning "verse narritve", referring to the style of speech and writing, and artistic talents within elite classes. Elite (also spelled Élite) is taken originally from the Latin, eligere, "to elect" The word was originally an adverb of sorts, which was of the Latin origin "Romanicus", meaning "of the Roman style", "like the Romans" (see Roman. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC ) The connecting notion is that Eurepeon medieval vernacular tales were usually about chivalric adventure, not combining the idea of love until late into the seventeenth century. The word "romance", or the equivalent thereof also has developed with other meanings in other languages, such as the early nineteenth century Spanish and Italian definitions of "adventurous" and "passionate", sometimes combining the idea of "love affair" or "idealistic quality. "

The more current and Western traditional terminology meaning "court as lover" or the general idea of "romantic love" is believed to have originated in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, primarily from that of the French culture. This idea is what has spurred the connection between the words "romantic" and "lover", thus coining the English phrase "romantic love" (i. e "loving like the Roman's do". ) But the precise origins of such a connection are unknown. Although the word "romance", or the equivalents thereof, may not have the same connotation in other cultures, the general idea of "romantic love" appears to have crossed cultures at one point in time or another.

Gender differences and romance

John Gray is noted primarily for his claims that gender differences are the primary causes for many of the conflicts, problems, or issues between people of opposite sex in romantic relationships. John Gray (born 1951 in Houston Texas) is an American Author on relationships and personal growth best known for his 1992 book A Gender difference is a distinction of biological and/or physiological characteristics typically associated with either males or females of a species in general However, in most of his material he neglects to mention instances that are similar between parties of same sex not involved romantically. John Gray does not seem to argue for differences in training, education, personal beliefs systems, personal experiences and attributive personality traits as being a collective unit of causes toward disruptions, disputes, and conflicts in any type of relationship, rather he focuses his theories primarily on the more traditional approach of gender based stereotypes. A stereotype (from Greek: stereo + týpos = "solid impression" is a generalized perception of first impressions behaviors presumed by a group One factor, however, that is an observable trait dealing with gender differences is that of physical appearance. In fact, in terms of physical appearance, the concerns about attractiveness vary so widely between the sexes that it is difficult to examine the specific terms and variables common to both genders. But if we were to observe human behaviour only, there are certain trait characteristics that can be viewed as identical and/or similar between opposite sexes, whether involved romantically or not. The geniality and humanness characteristic of a society, however, appear to always cross gender boundaries at some level. In Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus Gray argued for reciprocity, by focusing on gender differences. Men Are from Mars Women Are from Venus (published in May 1992 is a book by John Gray offering many suggestions for improving Husband - Wife In this way he popularized the view that men and women have special emotional needs belonging to their sex, and that an understanding of these might contribute to the conditions for relationships, and so also to romance.

Several MRI studies have been conducted to discover the reaction of subjects to images of an individual with whom they are in love. Scientists found that "love" activated the right ventral tegmental area (VTA) and dorsal caudate body of the brain, which are regions associated with motivation to win a reward. The ventral tegmentum or the ventral tegmental area (VTA ( tegmentum, Latin for covering) is part of the Midbrain, lying close to the Substantia The caudate nucleus is a nucleus located within the Basal ganglia of the Brains of many animal species Sorely lacking in these studies, however, is an investigation into the ways that different genders' brains react to love.

Common practices of romance

Common practices of romance include:

• Holding hands or walking hand in hand
• Private conversations (including distant ones over the phone, by written communication or even internet)
• Kissing and hugging
• Dancing
• Eating together
• Physical intimacy

The psychology of romantic love

Greek philosophers and authors had many theories of love, some of which are presented in Plato's Symposium where six Athenian friends including Socrates drink wine and each give a speech praising the deity Eros. Love Letter is a 1995 Japanese film directed by Shunji Iwai, and starring Miho Nakayama. Internet friendships are Friendships between people who have met Online, and in some cases know each other only via the Internet. A kiss is the touching of one person's lips to another place which is used as an expression of Affection, Respect, Greeting, Farewell A hug is a form of Physical intimacy that generally involves closing or holding the Arms around another person or group of persons Physical intimacy is sensual proximity and/or touching It can be enjoyed by itself and/or be an expression of Feelings (such as close Friendship See also List of deities A deity is a Postulated Preternatural or Supernatural Being, who is always Eros (Ἔρως in Greek mythology, was the primordial god of lust, Love, and Intercourse; he was also worshipped as a fertility When his turn comes, Aristophanes says in his mythical speech that sexual partners seek each other because they are descended from beings with spherical torsos, two sets of human limbs, genitalia on each side, and two faces back to back. Aristophanes (Ἀριστοφάνης ˌærɪˈstɒfəniːz in English ca See also Mythology Myth is derived from the Greek word μύθος mythos, which simply means 'story' Their three forms included the three permutations of pairs of gender (i. e. one masculine and masculine, another feminine and feminine, and the third masculine and feminine) and they were split by the gods to thwart the creatures' assault on heaven, recapitulated, according to the comic playwright, in other myths such as the Aloadae. Otos redirects here for the Spanish municipality see Otos Valencia. ^[13] This story is relevant to modern romance partly because of the image of reciprocity it shows between the sexes. In the final speech before Alcibiades arrives, Socrates gives his encomium of love and desire as a lack of being, namely, the being or form of beauty. Alcibiades Cleiniou Scambonides (ˌælsɨˈbaɪədiːz (pronunciation Greek:, transliterated Alkibiádēs Kleiníou Skambōnidēs) meaning Alcibiades SOCRATES is the European Community action programme in the field of Education. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE-ROMEOS*************** Deleuze linked this idea of love as a lack mainly to Freud, and Deleuze often criticized it. Gilles Deleuze ( (January 18 1925 &ndash November 4 1995 was a French philosopher of the late 20th century Sigmund Freud (ˈziːkmʊnt ˈfʁɔʏt born Sigismund Shlomo Freud (May 6 1856 &ndash September 23 1939 was an Austrian Psychiatrist who founded

Attraction, often based simply on common interests, can also appear mysterious and irrational, but therapists and support groups of many kinds attempt to analyze the process. Psychotherapy is an Interpersonal, relational intervention used by trained psychotherapists to aid clients in problems of living Though there are many theories of romantic love such as that of Robert Sternberg in which it is merely a mean combining liking and sexual desire, the major theories involve far more insight. Robert J Sternberg (born December 8, 1949) is an American psychologist and psychometrician and the Dean of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University For most of the 20th century, Freud's theory of the family drama dominated theories of romance and sexual relationships. This has given rise to a few counter-theories. Theorists like Deleuze counter Freud and Lacan by attempting to return to a more naturalistic philosophy. Jacques-Marie-Émile Lacan (French ʒak lakɑ̃ ( April 13, 1901 &ndash September 9, 1981) was a French Psychoanalyst

René Girard, for example, argues that romantic attraction is a product of rivalry, particularly in a triangular form, a view mostly popularized in Girard's theory of mimetic desire, controversial because of its alleged sexism. René Girard (born December 25, 1923, Avignon, France) is a world-renowned French Historian, Literary critic Sexism is the belief or attitude that one Gender or Sex is inferior to or less valuable than the other and can also refer to a Hatred or distrust towards The view has to some extent supplanted its predecessor, Freudian Oedipal theory. It may find even some spurious support in the supposed attraction of women to "bad" men, i. e. , implying the deflection of male aggression back toward a man and his rival, rather than their beloved. As a technique of attraction, often combined with irony, it is sometimes advised that one feign toughness and disinterest, but it can be a trivial or crude idea to promulgate to men, and it is not given with much understanding of mimetic desire in mind.

Girard, in any case, downplays romance's individuality in favor of jealousy and the love triangle, arguing that romantic attraction arises primarily in the observed attraction between two others. A love triangle is a romantic relationship involving three people A natural objection is that this is circular reasoning, but Girard means that a small measure of attraction reaches a critical point insofar as it is caught up in mimesis. In Logic, begging the question has traditionally described a type of Logical fallacy (also called petitio principii) in which the proposition Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, As You Like It, and The Winter's Tale are the best known examples. ^[14] Mimetic desire is often challenged by feminists, such as Toril Moi,^[15] who argue that it does not account for the woman as inherently desired. Feminism is a discourse that involves various movements theories, and Philosophies which are concerned with the issue of Gender difference, advocate Toril Moi (born 1953 in Norway is James B Duke Professor of Literature and Romance Studies at Duke University.

Though the centrality of rivalry is not itself a cynical view, it does emphasize the mechanical in love relations. In that sense, it does resonate with capitalism and a cynicism native to post-modernity. Romance, in this context, for example, leans more on fashion and irony, though these were important for it in less emancipated times. Sexual revolutions have brought change to these areas. The sexual revolution refers to the well-documented changes in social thought and codes of behaviour related to sexuality throughout the Western world that continues to evolve Wit or irony therefore ecompass an instability of romance that is not entirely new but has a more central social role, fine-tuned to certain modern peculiarities and subversion originating in various social revolutions, culminating mostly in the 1960s. ^[16]

The process of courtship also contributed to Schopenhauer's pessimism, despite his own romantic success,^[17] and he argued that to be rid of the challenge of courtship would drive people to suicide with boredom. Individuals seek partners who share certain interests and tastes, while at the same time looking for a "complement" or completing of themselves in a partner, in the cliché that "opposites attract. "

Romance and value

Even though there often appears to be traces of romance and love being intertwined in various cultures and societies throughout history, Gary Zukav, best selling author of Seat of the Soul and Soul Stories, views romantic love as being an illusion, stating that the concept of romantic love can never be truly fulfilling. Gary Zukav is a best-selling author and a former Green Beret during the War in Vietnam. He states that "Romance is your desire to make yourself complete through another person rather than through your own inner work. ", thus isolating the idea of romance from the concept of "true love. " His argument is that "real love" is more beneficial than romantic involvement alone. ^[18]

Romantic love may, then, be a sexual love^[19] that attempts to transcend, in some cases entirely, mere needs driven by physical appearances, lust, or material and social gain. Human sexual behavior or different human sexual practices encompass a wide range of activities such as strategies to find or attract partners ( Mating and display Love is any of a number of Emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong Affection. Literature In Dante's Inferno, the first Canticle of the Divine Comedy, the lustful are punished by being continuously This transcending, ultimately, implies not just that personality is more essential, which could be considered a truism, and a view that might appear without much regard to virtue, ranging from the noble to the most shallow character. A truism is a claim that is so obvious or self-evident as to be hardly worth mentioning except as a reminder or as a rhetorical or literary device Rather, romance tends to strive to see, or suppose it can see, personality as attractive in a fundamentally higher sense. In some religions, all forms of love (and art) may be regarded as indirectly seeking God--and therefore adding to a relationship with God--whereas at the same time, such lesser objects of love are sometimes regarded as distinct from God and an obstacle in the path of spirituality. God is the principal or sole Deity in Religions and other belief systems that worship one deity.

Not only theologians, but many philosophers debate this, especially in continental philosophy in existentialism, and in analytic philosophy, in views such as emotivism. Existentialism is a philosophical doctrine which posits that individuals create the meaning and essence of their lives and that this essence follows from their existence Emotivism (also known as the hurrah/boo theory) is the meta-ethical view which claims that Ethical sentences do not express Propositions ^[20] Things lesser than personality, however, as well as the practical aspects of personality, always play a role in romance's arousal and justification.

Romance then, raises questions of emotivism (or in a more pejorative sense, nihilism) such as whether spiritual attraction, of the world, might not actually rise above or distinguish itself from that of the body or aesthetic sensibility. Emotivism (also known as the hurrah/boo theory) is the meta-ethical view which claims that Ethical sentences do not express Propositions Nihilism (from the Latin nihil, nothing is a philosophical position that argues that Existence is without objective meaning Purpose While Buddha taught a philosophy of compassion and love, still in his philosophy of anatman or non-self spiritual appearances are of a piece with the world and essentially empty. Siddhārtha Gautama ( Sanskrit; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual Teacher from Ancient India and the founder Compassion is a profound human Emotion prompted by the pain of others In Buddhist philosophy, anatta ( Pāli) or anātman ( Sanskrit) refers to the notion of "not-self" The contradiction between compassion and anatman seems to be a part of Buddhism. In that case a seemingly negative insight can result in very different overall views, for example if one compares Buddha and Shakespeare with Nietzsche. Kierkegaard also addressed these ideas in works such as Either/Or and Stages on Life's Way. Søren Aabye Kierkegaard (ˈsœːɐn ˈkʰiɐ̯kəˌɡ̊ɒˀ in Danish Anglicized as;) ^[21]

Romantic love is contrasted with platonic love which in all usages precludes sexual relations, yet only in the modern usage does it take on a fully asexual sense, rather than the classical sense in which sexual drives are sublimated. Amor Platonicus The term amor platonicus was coined as early as the 15th century by the Florentine scholar Marsilio Ficino Asexuality is a Sexual orientation that describes individuals who do not experience Sexual attraction. Sublimation tends to be forgotten in casual thought about love aside from its emergence in psychoanalysis and Nietzsche. Unrequited love can be romantic, if only in a comic or tragic sense, or in the sense that sublimation itself is comparable to romance, where the spirituality of both art and egalitarian ideals is combined with strong character and emotions. Unrequited love is love that is not openly reciprocated even though reciprocation is usually deeply desired This situation is typical of the period of romanticism, but that term is distinct from any romance that might arise within it. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the ^[22] Romantic love might be requited emotionally and physically while not being consummated, to which one or both parties might agree. As a Verb, consummate means to bring something to its completion such as a transaction concept plan or action

Tragedy and other social issues of romance

The "tragic" contradiction between romance and society is most forcibly portrayed in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, in Flaubert's Madame Bovary, and William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Anna Karenina ( Анна Каренина) also Anglicised as Anna Karenin, is a Novel by the Russian writer Leo Tolstoy Madame Bovary is a Novel by Gustave Flaubert, who was attacked for obscenity by public prosecutors when it was first serialized in La Revue de William Shakespeare ( baptised Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the The female protagonists in such stories are driven to suicide as if dying for a cause of freedom from various oppressions of marriage. Even after sexual revolutions, on the other hand, to the extent that it does not lead to procreation (or child-rearing, as it also might exist in same-sex marriage), romance remains peripheral, though it may have virtues in the relief of stress, as a source of inspiration or adventure, or in development and the strengthening of certain social relations. Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same Stress is a measure of the average amount of Force exerted per unit Area. It is difficult to imagine such tragic heroines, however, as having such practical considerations in mind.

"Romantic," as implied above, has both the connotations of courtly love and urgent, mutual physical desire, or both spirituality and superficiality. Courtly love was a Medieval European conception of ennobling love which found its genesis in the ducal and princely courts of Aquitaine, Provence A parallel division occurs in marriage, where sexual relations prepare for and harmonize with later responsibilities. ^[23] In marriage this combination is considered potentially harmonious, whereas in romance taken by itself the role of spirituality tends to be discordant. The synonymous "erotic" has a more unequivocal connotation.

Reciprocity of the sexes appears in the ancient world primarily in myth (where it is in fact often the subject of tragedy, for example in the myths of Theseus and Atalanta). For other uses see Theseus (disambiguation Theseus (Θησεύς was a Legendary king of Athens, son of Aethra, and fathered Atalanta (Αταλάντη English translation: "balanced" is a character from ancient Greek mythology. Noteworthy female freedom or power was then the exception rather than the rule, though this is a matter of speculation and debate. ^[24] At the same time Christianity has had another effect on romance, by asserting the spirituality of marriage. ^[25] This is at least slightly ironic, since religion is the origin of much liberation and emancipation.

Later modern philosophers such as La Rochefoucauld, Hume and Rousseau also focused on morality, but desire was central to French thought, and Hume himself tended to adopt a French worldview and temperament. Morality (from the Latin la moralitas "manner character proper behavior" has three principal meanings Desire in this milieu meant a very general idea termed "the passions," and this general interest was distinct from the contemporary idea of "passionate" now equated with "romantic. " Love was a central topic again in the subsequent movement of Romanticism, which focused on such things as absorption in nature and the absolute, as well as platonic and unrequited love in German philosophy and literature. Romanticism is a complex artistic literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Absolute may mean Philosophy Absolute (philosophy, a concept in philosophy Moral absolutes, the belief that there are absolute

Philosophers and authors interested in the nature of love, which may not have been mentioned in this article are Jane Austen, Stendhal, Schopenhauer, George Meredith, Proust, D. H. Lawrence, Freud, Sartre, de Beauvoir, Hemingway, Henry Miller, Deleuze and Alan Soble. Jane Austen (16 Henri-Marie Beyle ( January 23, 1783 &ndash March 23, 1842) better known by his Pen name Stendhal, was a 19th-century George Meredith, OM ( February 12, 1828 &ndash May 18, 1909) was an English Novelist and Poet during Valentin Louis Georges Eugène Marcel Proust (maʁsɛl pʁust (10 July 1871 &ndash 18 November 1922 was a French Novelist Essayist and Critic David Herbert Richards Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930 was an English writer of the 20th century whose prolific and diverse output included Novels short Sigmund Freud (ˈziːkmʊnt ˈfʁɔʏt born Sigismund Shlomo Freud (May 6 1856 &ndash September 23 1939 was an Austrian Psychiatrist who founded Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre (21 June 1905 &ndash 15 April 1980 commonly known simply as Jean-Paul Sartre (ʒɑ̃ pol saʁtʁə was a French "La Beauvoir" redirects here also see Beauvoir (disambiguation Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21 1899 — July 2 1961 was an American novelist short-story writer, and Journalist. Henry Valentine Miller (December 26 1891 &ndash June 7 1980 was an American writer and painter. Gilles Deleuze ( (January 18 1925 &ndash November 4 1995 was a French philosopher of the late 20th century Alan Gerald Soble (born 1947 is an American Philosopher who is a prominent thinker in the Philosophy of Sex.

Properties of romantic love include these:

• It cannot be easily controlled.
• It is not overtly (initially at least) predicated on a desire for sex as a physical act.
• If requited, it may be the basis for lifelong commitment.

See also

• Biological Attraction
• Courtly love
• Erotomania
• Erotophobia
• Limerence
• Love Letters
• Marriage
• Personal relationship
• Physical intimacy
• Romanticism
• Romantic friendship
• Romance novel
• Sexual relationship
• Terms of endearment
• Valentine's Day

Notes and references

Further reading

• Kierkegaard, Søren. Stages on Life's Way. Transl. Walter Lowrie, D. D. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1940.
• Levi-Strauss, Claude. Structural Anthropolgy. London: Allen Lane, 1968; New York: Penguin Books, 1994. Structural Anthropology. (volume 2) London: Allen Lane, 1977; New York: Peregrine Books 1976.
• Nietzsche, Friedrich. Human, All Too Human. Transl. R. J. Hollingdale. Cambridge: Cambridge University, 2nd Edition, 1996.
• Wiseman, Boris. Introducing Levi-Strauss. New York: Totem Books, 1998.
• Denis de Rougemont, Love in the Western World. Pantheon Books, 1956.
• Francesco Alberoni, Falling in love, New York, Random House, 1983. Francesco Alberoni ( December 31, 1929, Borgonovo Val Tidone, Province of Piacenza) is an Italian

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