Friday Flashback — Against Love | how to save the world

This week’s Friday Flashback is my article from March 2005, entitled Against Love: Love Politics Revisited.

Summary: Author Laura Kipnis argues in her book Against Love that monogamy is unnatural and unhealthy, and possibly complicit in our emotional detachment from political life and our ecosystem as well. Her argument is consistent with Glenn Parton’s argument in his essay Love Politics.

Quotes:

Whether it’s “on the relationship” or “on the job” get yourself right to the therapist’s office, pronto. There are only two possible diagnoses for all such modern ailments: it’s going to be either “intimacy issues” or “authority issues”. You’ll soon discover that the disease doubles as the prescription at this clinic: You’re just going to have to “workharder on yourself”…

Domestic coupledom is the boot camp for compliant citizenship, a training ground for gluey resignation and immobility…

The illustration at right is from Peter Steiner in The New Yorker, artwork and other items for sale in the Cartoon Bank.

2 Responses to Friday Flashback — Against Love

Glenn Parton says:

January 11, 2008 at 23:21

Hi Dave,Thanks or mentioning my essay again. I’m always amazed by how much agreement there is between us. Regarding my STRAGETY for social change, I don’t propose intentional communities, not even Second Life ones, but rather that politically aware individuals form groups, circles, or associations who “also” agree to try to overcome monogamy. The “also” is key here because it means that trying to overcome monogamy is only one essential value of true community building, along with other essential values that you, Dave, so eloquently articulate on your blog. My idea is not that gatherings of politically aware people consent to sexually love more than one person, but only that they hold themselves open to the possibility of doing so. This would change group dynamics considerably by allowing Eros to flow freely and hence creatively through the community, providing a “bridge” to intentional communities. This strategy is not meant for everyone. If someone doesn’t want to refuse monomgany at least in principle, then s/he can do good political work in other ways I’m sure, but by adding this essential value to the mix I think that groups of politically aware people can achieve heights of solidarity and creative intelligence that will take us to a new level of political effort to save the world.Your friend,Glenn Parton
Chaitanya says:

January 13, 2008 at 00:00

wow, Hi from India, Glenn ! Your article was very thought provoking and is making me rethink some of the assumptions i have been making. thanks.