Love in History - Salama Moussa

Love in History by Salama Moussa

A Historical and Philosophical Study of Love Across the Ages

Overview

Love in History (1925) is one of the most significant works of Egyptian thinker Salama Moussa (1887–1958).
In this book, he explores love as a universal human phenomenon, offering both a historical and anthropological study.
His approach traces how the concept of love has evolved across civilizations, drawing on examples from both Arab and European traditions, and framing his analysis within psychology and socialism.

Salama Moussa: Intellectual Background

During his stay in Europe (1906–1910), Moussa was influenced by Darwin’s theory of evolution, Marx’s socialism, and the Fabian Society in Britain.

These influences shaped his view of love not merely as a private emotion, but as a social force in constant development.

Theoretical Foundations

1. Love Between Instinct and Consciousness

Instinctive love: What Moussa calls “the dim-sighted love,” short-lived and driven by lust, a form shared with animals. Example: romances that collapse once desire is spent.
Emotional-intellectual love: “The clear-sighted love,” representing the pinnacle of human evolution. It is rational, ethical, and capable of becoming creativity or sacrifice.

2. Darwinian Influence

Moussa interprets love as a product of evolution, serving the survival of the species, yet gradually transcending biology to attain spiritual and cultural dimensions.

Historical Analysis of Love

Love in Arab Tradition

Antarah and Abla: A love that transformed a slave into a celebrated hero—yet Moussa notes that such unions often led not to idyllic marriages but to betrayal.
Jamil and Buthayna: Seen as “chaste love,” which Moussa dismisses as myth, arguing it masked society’s suppression of sexual desire.
Qays and Layla (Majnun Layla): For Moussa, this was not sanctified love but an illness of obsession, a cultural glorification of emotional madness.

Love in Western Tradition

Cleopatra and Antony: A fusion of love and politics that led to Antony’s ruin—proof of the danger of confusing passion with ambition.
Napoleon and Josephine: Josephine’s infidelity highlights the fragility of love without intellectual equality.
Karl Marx and Jenny von Westphalen: A rare example of “clear-sighted love,” with Jenny supporting Marx intellectually. Her death, however, left him emotionally devastated—showing humanity’s vulnerability to loss.

Social and Cultural Critique

1. Marriage as an Oppressive Institution

Moussa critiques traditional marriage as ownership: “No person has the right to possess another” (quoting George Sand). Historically, marriage served economic and political interests, often killing genuine emotional love.

2. Woman Between Sanctification and Exploitation

He highlights the contradictions: women revered as symbols of chastity in Arab heritage, yet reduced to objects of pleasure in some European models. Moussa calls instead for equality as intellectual partners.

3. Love and Class Struggle

In capitalist societies, love is debased into physical pleasure, he argues. Socialism, by contrast, creates conditions for the flourishing of “clear-sighted love.”

Case Studies: Tradition vs. Moussa’s Critique

Historical Model	Traditional View	Moussa’s Interpretation
Cleopatra & Antony	A tragic epic romance	Instinct overruling reason, leading to ruin
Qays & Lubna	A symbol of loyalty	Her divorce over infertility exposes social control
Elizabeth I	The Virgin Queen, sacrificing love for power	A false sacrifice—she replaced love with treating men as instruments

Love as a Metaphysical Experience

Moussa concludes that love is “the deepest metaphysical experience known to humanity,” one that has baffled poets, philosophers, and scientists alike:

Poets sanctified love but exaggerated its emotions.
Philosophers dissected it but neglected its instinctive roots.
Scientists reduced it to brain chemistry yet failed to explain its spiritual depth.

His solution: a synthesis of reason (philosophy) and feeling (art), within a society free from artificial norms.

Reception and Legacy

Controversy at Publication (1925)

The book sparked debate: hailed by some as liberating, condemned by conservatives as a threat to morality.

Criticism

Reducing love stories to materialist terms (lust or class struggle).
Neglecting spiritual love traditions, especially Sufi thought (e.g., Rabi‘a al-‘Adawiyya).
Favoring Western frameworks in critiquing Arab heritage.

Contemporary Relevance

Despite its limits, Love in History remains a reference point in analyzing human relationships. It stands out for its sharp critique of gender inequality and its call to free love from the grip of money and ideology.

Conclusion: Love as a Driving Force in History

Moussa presents love as a historical engine, revealing:

The contradictions of human nature—between animal instinct and the yearning for transcendence.
The influence of society—shaping or distorting ideas of love.
The hope of progress—toward a love where reason and heart converge.

Even a century later, the book continues to resonate, reminding us that the struggle between “dim-sighted” and “clear-sighted” love is far from over.

For the original summary in Arabic