The Idea of Love by Robert G. Hazo (review)

584 BOOK REVIEWS The author provides a fascinating comparison of contemporary psychologists ' self-actualization theories with Aristotle's eudaemonism and Spinoza's self-realization theory. He shows that psychologists and psychiatrists , by studying obstacles to human happiness and the means of removing them, have truly broadened man's understanding of happiness on the concrete level. Although some of the self-actualization authors (e. g., Mazlow, Fromm, Rogers) "really take the standard virtues for granted, and invoke them when needed in the concrete therapeutic situation ," they actually (p. 34~) "reduce ethics to psychology," in spite of their desire to remain objective. Admitting significant differences, McGill nonetheless concludes that (p. 343) " the literature strongly suggests that what we have called 'self-actualization' theory is a continuation of eudaemonism and self-realization theory." For McGill, Aristotle has contributed more to the idea of happiness than anyone else (p. 176 and similar remarks in passing) : " It is Aristotle 's eudaemonism, however, that has the longer history and influence, that provides the fullest, most explicit theory of happiness, and is far more involved in the controversy over happiness." If McGill were to award Olympic medals to the winners, he would probably give the gold medal to Aristotle, the silver to Bentham and the bronze to Kant. Team standings, however, would place the Utilitarians (J. S. Mill, Bentham, Sidgwick, Hobbes) on top. And the self-realization theory of Aristotle and others would win the approval of the spectators. Content rather than style makes this book difficult reading. But this should not discourage the serious student. The Idea of Happiness is a scholarly book. It is, I believe, one of the most important contributions to the literature of happiness in decades. I recommend it highly for its approach, content, and style. More importantly, I recommend it because it shows that the pursuit of happiness is so much a part of our human condition that we cannot easily eliminate it from our study of philosophy and theology. Viatorian Seminary Washington, D. C. THOMAs F. McMAHoN, C. S. V. The Idea of Love. By RoBERT G. HAZo. (Concepts in Western Thought Series, General Editor: MoRTIMER J. ADLER) , Institute for Philosophical Research; New York-Washington-London: Frederick A. Praeger, 1967. Pp. 488. $7.95. The aim of the series to which this volume belongs is " to transform what, in every case, at first appears to be a chaos of differing opinions BOOK REVIEWS 585 into an orderly set of clearly defined points of agreement and disagreement that give rise to real issues and make possible the kind of rational debate that constitutes genuine controversy " (p. ix) . This end is fully attained by Mr. Hazo in his thorough survey of the notoriously rich and difficult literature on love by Western authors from Plato to Freud and C. S. Lewis. He draws mainly on writings in philosophy, psychology, and theology. His emphasis is on human love, and mainly human love for men, although other forms of love are considered, and a special chapter is devoted to the celebrated controversy on supernatural human love and, therefore, necessarily deals also with man's love for God. The first part of the work is analytical and expository, beginning with a chapter in which the author succeeds in singling out seven critical notions as the minimum required for describing the different conceptions of love. Five of them refer to love insofar as it is said to be a tendency or inclination; they are: tendency in general, and then tendency in particular as acquisitive, as benevolent, as sexual, and as desire for union. Cross-mingling of these currents of thought gives rise to such conceptions as simple or mixed acquisitive tendency, or to self-interested benevolence and disinterested benevolence. Two critical notions refer to the judgmental aspect of love, namely, the judgment of esteem and the judgment of valuation . Very few writers reduce love totally to judgment or regard judgment as its primary element; there is general agreement that human love implies or presupposes judgment, but the relation between them is variously conceived. There can be little doubt that these seven notions, patiently abstracted by the author from the vast literature on love, are basic to any...