Books / Humanistic, existential & experiential
Love and Will
Rollo May’s Love and Will (1969) considers love, desire and will in the context of existential psychology.
Book details
Author of listed edition: Rollo May
Edition: 1969 Norton first edition
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Edition year: 1969
Language and origin: English (United States)
Form and genre: Cultural & Historical Critique
Level: Introductory
Historical era: 1960–1979 · Humanistic, Cognitive & Systemic Turn
Covers: Love and desire in human relationships; Will, choice and responsibility; Existential psychological perspectives on contemporary life
APA 7th reference: May, R. (1969). Love and will. W. W. Norton & Company.
What it is
Love and Will is a book by existential psychologist Rollo May. The edition listed here was published by Norton in 1969.
What it covers
The publisher describes May’s discussion of love and will and how they relate to each other. A contemporary review identifies desire, intention and the daimonic among the ideas he considers.
Theory and context
The book is a historical work of existential psychology and cultural interpretation. May’s ideas should be read as a theoretical perspective rather than established explanations of every person’s relationships or mental health.
Limits of this entry
The complete book and the paired work were not reviewed. This entry draws on library and publisher records and a contemporary review; it does not establish the effectiveness of a therapy.
Paired academic and clinical scholarship
Paired work: Existential Psychotherapy (Irvin D. Yalom, 1980)
Reference: Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. Basic Books.
Yalom’s later work presents an approach to existential psychotherapy. The complete book was not consulted for this record.
Source-mapped claims and evidence notes
Claim 1: May considers love and will and their relationship to one another. (The publisher’s description of a later paperback was consulted; the complete 1969 book was not reviewed.) [Source 2: W. W. Norton. Love & Will, paperback.]
Sources and inspection notes
Vermont State Colleges Libraries. Love and will, catalogue record.
Supports: Catalogue identifies Rollo May, Norton, 1969 and a first edition.
W. W. Norton. Love & Will, paperback.
Supports: Publisher description of a later 2007 paperback discusses May’s treatment of love and will. The full book was not reviewed.
Kirkus Reviews. Love and Will (1969).
Supports: Contemporary review identifies desire, the daimonic and intentionality in the book; it is a reviewer’s account.