Honors Thesis Archive
| Author | Danny Bean |
|---|---|
| Title | The Trauma Theory of Love |
| Department | Philosophy |
| Advisor | Julius Bailey |
| Year | 2024 |
| Honors | University Honors |
| Full Text | View Thesis (450 KB) |
| Abstract | Although there is an entire field of theory devoted to trauma and numerous philosophical accounts discussing love, there has been little research on the connection between the two. To begin rectifying this glaring omission, I analyzed the seminal work for trauma theory, Cathy Caruth’s Unclaimed Experience, and numerous accounts of philosophies of love (amongst other topics). Using a synthetic approach, I then extrapolated certain elements to propose my own theory of love, the trauma theory of love. Under this framework, love can only be born out of a twofold traumatization experience. The first trauma fragments the self and allows for the reconstruction of the true self. To recover the subject from a suspended state of emotional vulnerability, the second trauma is issued in the form of rejection. This latter step aids in communalization, ensures love is not displaced from its focus object, and prevents disillusionment concerning the acquired object. |
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