Love: A Psychoanalytic Perspective. The Psychology of Love, #3

This book explores Freud's early conceptions of love, emphasizing its roots in childhood. Freud compares the state of being in love to the young child's relationship with parental figures, characterized by total obedience and a desire to be loved without expecting reciprocity. He then broadens this perspective by defining love as an expression of the sexual drive, distinct from the self-preserving instincts linked to survival.
The introduction of the concept of libido-psychic energy underlying various forms of love (self-love, friendship, intellectual interest)-allows for a view that goes beyond purely biological explanations. Freud distinguishes sexual love from sensual love, highlighting the psychic, rather than merely organic, dimension of desire. In doing so, he redefines sexuality as a pursuit of pleasure, not just a reproductive instinct.
Finally, he connects love to social bonds: aim-inhibited drives or tender impulses are said to promote collective cohesion, forming the foundation of major social institutions such as the Church or the military.