The Ways and Power of Love

One of my great intellectual heroes is the sociologist, Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin (1889-1968). In previous blog entries or tributes I have written about other pioneers of consciousness, and/or psychic friends, who have exerted a major influence on my thinking. They include Jean Houston, Stephan A. Schwartz and Charles Tart, Kay Rhea, Kevin Ryerson, Saul-Paul Sirag, Dean Brown, Sheba Penner, Alan Vaughan, James P. Driscoll, Lynne Morris and Arthur M. Young. In a very real sense, I feel Sorokin has touched my life in the same way as these dear friends. The difference, however, is that – although I was 21 years old when he died – I never had the pleasure of meeting Sorokin. In fact, I was not introduced to his work until after his death.

The way that Sorokin’s writings reached out and touched me with a vital force is somewhat akin to the influence upon me of the ancient Roman philosopher, Seneca. One example is Sorokin’s “Integral Theory of Truth and Reality” – an essay of his that I have excerpted and posted on the Intuition Network website. Another (related) example of this influence on me is my article, “Intuition: A Source of True Knowing” published in the Noetic Sciences Review.

I believe that connections of this sort reveal a great deal about the nature of love itself. And, interestingly, Sorokin is – in my opinion – one of the most important writers ever to address the nature of love and its role in human civilization. His book, The Ways and Power of Love, originally published in 1954 is truly a classic.

My blog post, today, about Sorokin, is – actually – part of the series of recent posts (starting July 26, 2008) concerning the role that love plays through the entire human life cycle. My (probably unattainable) goal in this project is to arrive an a unified understanding of love that integrates biological, psychological and spiritual perspectives. I think that Sorokin’s work is crucial to this endeavor – insofar as he dedicated much of his illustrious academic career to the integration of spiritual perspectives within American sociology.

I think that Sorokin, himself, would question the possibility of my achieving the ambitious goal that I have set forth (above) for my book on love. He would point out, I believe, that our present, chaotic cultural environment does not readily lend itself a unified understanding of love. While the integration of science and spirituality is a desirable goal, it is quite premature to think that it has yet been achieved – at least in a fashion that is likely to penetrate into the cultural mainstream.

I cannot disagree. Yet, realistically, my own thoughts and synchronistic reminiscences I have about love and the human psyche are also far from the mainstream of our culture. Perhaps some day in the future this will all change.

Jeff Mishlove's Blog Index