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Paul A. Kottman, L’amore come libertà umana

Mohaddeseh Rabbaninia
p. 259-260
Notizia bibliografica:

Paul A. Kottman, L’amore come libertà umana, It. tr. by Agnese Riccio, Quodlibet, Macerata, 2023, 320 pp.

Testo integrale

1In the volume L’amore come libertà umana (Quodlibet 2023) is presented for the first time to the Italian public the book Love as Human Freedom by Paul A. Kottman, published in 2017 by Stanford University Press. Kottman presents a unique perspective on love, viewing it as a dynamic practice that evolves over time and shapes social systems, ultimately fostering freedom.

2However, this journey to freedom may be rational, but it is not solely influenced by rational forces; emotional impulses are also at play, and they can serve as effective catalysts for social change. Often, people in society act according to ethics or conventional norms in their daily lives rather than on a critical level. If they act just on the basis of conventional norms, the prevailing culture in society will simply be reproduced. Sometimes emotional impulses cause serious changes because emotions don’t just stay inside a person; they cause action and form remarkable relationships. Not just love, more generally, history offers many examples of social movements structured around emotions such as pride or shame (Appiah 2010: 72; Deonna et al. 2012). Emotions like love can operate on a deeper level compared to reason (Robinson 2005). For instance, Kottman discusses how medieval courtly love challenged gender norms (Kottman 2017: 116, tr. Kottman 2023: 198).

3I see Kottman’s Hegelian influence firstly in his view of love evolving over time towards greater freedom and second in his use of literature to illustrate the changing nature of love throughout history.

4Regarding the first point, we can interpret the evolution toward freedom as a transition from particularity to individuality. Universals represent common characteristics that unite things under a shared category, such as ‘manness’ in men and ‘womanness’ in women. Particulars emerge when these men and women are given flesh and bone, but without any distinguishing differences between them (Hegel 1991: §181). In the early stages of history, these men and women are considered particulars and act based on ethical life and duty. Thus, for many years, women were expected to prioritize family devotion and childbearing. However, as societal structures evolved, individuality emerged. People began asserting their autonomy, leading to more choices and freedoms. So, Kottman suggests that love affairs are now pursued for personal satisfaction and continue only as long as both parties find enough fulfillment in the relationship.

5About the second aspect, Kottman explores how literary portrayals of love can mirror larger societal changes, drawing parallels to Hegel’s view of literature as a reflection of the spirit of its time. Hegel’s appreciation for the role of literature in cultural self-consciousness is exemplified in his discussions of works like Sophocles’ Antigone and Diderot’s Rameau’s Nephew. Also In Kottman’s volume, there are many references to literary works, emblematic of their historical epoch and also having tragic moments facing death as a common theme. since these painful moments are some critical points in which spirit becomes self-conscious, and individuality emerges.

6Kottman emphasizes the difficulty of understanding death since we can’t ask the deceased to explain it. Therefore, it is our responsibility as the living to grasp the transition from life to death. “What we ‘do’ for the dead one […] is how we make sense of him as belonging to us, to self-conscious life” (Kottman 2017: 29; trans. Kottman 2023: 52-53). In most tragic moments when facing death, the approach varies across different time epochs. In a chapter titled “Loving the Dead,” the book delves into ancient Greek society through the tragedy of Antigone, where even facing death is tied to duty.

7In ancient Greek society, burying one’s dead was a crucial duty. Failure to do so was a grave insult, with women typically responsible for this task. In this era, characters are determined in their actions. Eteocles and Polynices are willing to fight to rule the city, even sacrificing their lives, as it is a Greek man’s duty to fight for the police. Creon views Polynices as a threat to the city’s order and forbids his burial. Antigone, a Greek woman, follows divine rules that require her to bury her brother.

8However, tragedy unfolds as all characters become victims due to the lack of subjective will and individuality in their society. When society’s ethical norms override individuality, they create a divided world that can only be resolved by prioritizing individual rights over authority. This transition symbolizes society’s historical journey towards freedom. Through ongoing individuation, women and men liberate themselves from societal expectations to become autonomous individuals who seek fulfilling relationships.

9Although Love as Freedom is clearly influenced by Hegel’s thought and method, as well as various literary works, its relevance extends beyond just philosophy and literature enthusiasts. By delving into the profound subject of love, a universal theme that permeates human existence and shapes our social interactions, this book offers valuable insights for readers from all walks of life.

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Bibliografia

Appiah, K.A. 2010, The Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen, New York, W.W. Norton & Company.

Deonna, J., Teroni, F. 2012, The Emotions: A Philosophical Introduction. London - New York, Routledge.

Kottman, P.A. 2017, Love as Human Freedom, Stanford University Press, It. tr. L’amore come libertà umana, Macerata, Quodlibet 2023.

Robinson, J. 2005, Deeper than Reason: Emotion and its Role in Literature, Music, and Art, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

Hegel, G.W.F. 1991, The Encyclopaedia Logic, with the Zusätze: Part I of the Encyclopaedia of Philosophical Sciences with the Zusätze (Vol. 1), Indianapolis, Hackett Publishing.

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Per citare questo articolo

Notizia bibliografica

Mohaddeseh Rabbaninia, «Paul A. Kottman, L’amore come libertà umana»Rivista di estetica, 87 | 2024, 259-260.

Notizia bibliografica digitale

Mohaddeseh Rabbaninia, «Paul A. Kottman, L’amore come libertà umana»Rivista di estetica [Online], 87 | 2024, online dal 01 mars 2025, consultato il 07 juillet 2025. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/estetica/18002; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/13tuy

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