Personal Relationships: Love, Identity, and Morality

This book is a lively introduction to and exploration of the nature and value of personal relationships.

LaFollette argues that a careful examination of friendship, love and kinship illuminates and is illuminated by philosophical discussions of the self, the emotions, and reason. He also explores a variety of questions about the conduct of our relationships: honesty, jealousy, commitment, sex, and equality.

This book is primarily a contribution to the growing philosophical literature on personal relationships. However, by relating practical concerns about personal relationships to more theoretical philosophical issues, the volume provides the ideal basis for introductory philosophy and ethics courses, as well as specialized upper division courses on personal relationships.

Preface.

Acknowledgements.

Part I: The Nature and Value of Personal Relationships:.

1. What is a Personal Relationship?.

2. Emotions and Feelings.

3. Why Do I Love?.

4. Reasons for Love.

5. Value of Personal Relationships.

Part II: The Personal Bond:.

6. Interpreting Another′s Behavior.

7. Intimacy and Trust.

8. Honesty & Self–Knowledge.

9. Equity in Relationships.

10. The Art of Loving.

11. Sex and Jealousy.

12. Commitment.

13. Morality and Personal Relationships.

Bibliography.

Index.

Hugh Lafollette is Professor of Philosophy at East Tennessee State University. His publications include Whose Child? (1981), Person to Person (1989) and he is co–editor of World Hunger and Moral Obligation (1977).

"An engaging and accessible discussion of love and friendship. LaFollette has produced valuable and interesting results, and he defends his position with philosophical acuity and personal wisdom." Lester Hunt, University of Wisconsin