Montgomery Belgion Boeken

In this classic work, often described as "The History of the Rise, Decline, and Fall of the Love Affair," Denis de Rougemont explores the psychology of love from the legend of Tristan and Isolde to Hollywood. At the heart of his ever-relevant inquiry is the inescapable conflict in the West between marriage and passion--the first associated with social and religious responsiblity and the second with anarchic, unappeasable love as celebrated by the troubadours of medieval Provence. These early poets, according to de Rougemont, spoke the words of an Eros-centered theology, and it was through this "heresy" that a European vocabulary of mysticism flourished and that Western literature took on a new direction. Bringing together historical, religious, philosophical, and cultural dimensions, the author traces the evolution of Western romantic love from its literary beginnings as an awe-inspiring secret to its commercialization in the cinema. He seeks to restore the myth of love to its original integrity and concludes with a philosophical perspective on modern marriage.

The narrative explores the futility of punishing the defeated in war, arguing that such actions often obscure the true causes of international conflict. It suggests that the failure of Western victors in both World Wars to acknowledge the moral foundations of international relations contributed to the resurgence of war. The text critiques the concept of 'victors' justice' exemplified by the Nuremberg Trials, emphasizing that these responses did not pave the way for lasting peace and instead perpetuated cycles of conflict.