"Sette proposizioni sull’homo agapicus. Un progetto di ricerca per le scienze sociali"

Abstract: The aim of the authors is to begin a study on agapic behaviour, from a sociological perspective, with a view to stimulating further research and initiating a scientific community on this subject. They therefore make seven propositions about Homo Agapicus which could be the basis for empirical research in this field. They observe that in reality multiple forms of social behaviour coexist, and undertake a critical review of the sociological literature about love. This shows that while there has been a recent rediscovery of the concept, it has been investigated in a sense confined to the idea of eros and the relationship of couples. Starting from the recent study of Boltanski on Agape in Sociology, the authors show how agape can be considered as a fundamental motive for social action. By investigating the way it has been institutionalised, they indicate conditions for its transformation into relationships and social interaction.