The Prudence of Love

The Prudence of Love focuses upon the intersection of philosophical, theological, and psychological issues concerning love. Eric Silverman advocates an account of love derived from St. Thomas Aquinas's historic account. He defends three claims concerning love's positive effects upon a person's happiness. First, he argues that there are five ways that love contributes to the lover's happiness. Surprisingly, only one of these benefits is primarily relational, while the other benefits are largely psychological. Second, Silverman argues that the combination of love's benefits typically increases the lover's overall level of happiness. Finally, he argues that possessing a loving disposition is a more reliable strategy for increasing one's overall happiness than possessing an unloving disposition. Throughout The Prudence of Love, Silverman demonstrates that love's benefits are identifiable according to all major views of happiness.