With the World at Heart: Studies in the Secular Today

Love plays a crucial role in creating and sustaining the temporal worlds we inhabit. According to Thomas A. Carlson, it empowers love to create a world that is not limited by mortal existence's fragility and sorrow.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 256 pages
\n Publication date: 03 April 2019
\n Publisher: The University of Chicago Press
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Love is a profound and complex emotion that has played a central role in human history and culture. It has been studied and debated by philosophers, theologians, and scientists for centuries, and its role in shaping our understanding of the world remains an ongoing topic of exploration. In this essay, we will explore the role of love in opening and sustaining the temporal worlds we inhabit.

One of the leading scholars in philosophy and the history of religious thought, Thomas A. Carlson, has written extensively on the topic of love and its relationship to the temporal world. In his book, Love and the Temporal World, Carlson traces the question of love through Christian theology, twentieth-century phenomenological and deconstructive philosophy, and nineteenth-century individualism.

Carlson begins by revising Augustine's insight that when we love a place, we dwell there in the heart. He argues that this idea is too limited and that love can extend beyond physical places to include the broader world of ideas, emotions, and experiences. Carlson also resists lines of thought that seek to transcend loss and its grief by loving all things within the realm of the eternal. He argues that mortal existence in its transience is not a contradiction to love, but rather an opportunity for love to create a world that is more meaningful and fulfilling.

Through masterful readings of Heidegger, Derrida, Marion, Nancy, Emerson, and Nietzsche, Carlson shows that the fragility and sorrow of mortal existence in its transience do not, in fact, contradict love, but instead empower love to create a world that is more meaningful and fulfilling. He argues that love is not just a feeling or a desire, but a force that can shape the world in profound ways.

One of the key themes that Carlson explores in his book is the idea of the "sacred." He argues that love can create a sense of sacredness and awe in the world, and that this sense of sacredness can help us to appreciate the beauty and complexity of the world around us. Carlson also explores the idea of the "impermanence" of the temporal world, and how love can help us to embrace this impermanence and find meaning and purpose in our lives.

Another important theme that Carlson explores is the idea of the "other." He argues that love can help us to connect with others on a deeper level and to recognize the inherent value and worth of every person. Carlson also explores the idea of the "self" and how love can help us to develop a sense of self-worth and self-love.

In conclusion, love is a powerful and complex emotion that has played a central role in human history and culture. Through his book, Love and the Temporal World, Thomas A. Carlson explores the role of love in opening and sustaining the temporal worlds we inhabit. He argues that love can extend beyond physical places to include the broader world of ideas, emotions, and experiences, and that it can create a sense of sacredness and awe in the world. Carlson also explores the idea of the "impermanence" of the temporal world and how love can help us to embrace this impermanence and find meaning and purpose in our lives. His book is a valuable contribution to the field of philosophy and provides a rich and nuanced understanding of the role of love in shaping our understanding of the world.

\n Weight: 354g\n
Dimension: 153 x 227 x 15 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9780226617534\n \n