ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book looks at how romantic love is currently in crisis. It argues that Aristotle’s conception of philia, or friendship, can help people out of this. The book considers philosophical issues relevant to the way people think about love in the present day. It argues that the philosophy of love has tended to be too negative about the process of falling in love, because falling in love is often equated with limerence or infatuation. The book delves deeper into romantic love with Neil Delaney considering its erotic dimension and how this fits with the ‘properties theory’ of romantic love – the view that people love people for their properties. It considers a type of love which has been thus far neglected by philosophers – grandparental love.
