Agape and the Social Sciences

Fragments of analysis

Abstract

The theme of love is not foreign, as is well-known, to the sociological tradition, from Sorokin, whose work will be discussed, to Simmel. It is therefore worth asking whether this theme still has explanatory power at least in terms of specific as agape or – better – agapic action, especially in a context that ever more sets this theme aside? This article reflects upon the plausibility of the concept of agapic action as it appears in the legacy of Achille Ardigò and his concept of civil society, and illustrates how agape can be confirmed as a perspective capable of interpreting society in its global dimensions and in all its complexity. He also considers how this might be transformed into political, social and moral codes.