logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2022
1 h

A new philosophy of love

Vox
About this episode

Sean Illing talks with Carrie Jenkins about her new book Sad Love, and her call to rethink the shape and boundaries of romantic love. In this far-ranging discussion about the meaning of romantic love, Sean and Carrie discuss the connection between love and happiness, what we should expect (and not expect) from our romantic partners, and whether or not loving a person must entail that we love only that person.

Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling), Interviews Writer, Vox

Guest: Carrie Jenkins (@carriejenkins), writer; professor of philosophy, University of British Columbia

References: 


Enjoyed this episode? Rate Vox Conversations ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.

Subscribe for free. Be the first to hear the next episode of Vox Conversations by subscribing in your favorite podcast app.

Support Vox Conversations by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts

This episode was made by: 

  • Producer: Erikk Geannikis
  • Editor: Amy Drozdowska
  • Engineer: Patrick Boyd
  • Deputy Editorial Director, Vox Talk: A.M. Hall

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Up next
Today
America's lawyers vs. China's engineers
America has a hard time building stuff. Roads. Trains. Bridges. Housing. Everything takes seemingly forever. Meanwhile, China seems to have no trouble at all: high-speed rails, solar panels, electric cars, bridges, ports, all churned out at breakneck speed. Why is that? Sean's gu ... Show More
51m 37s
Aug 18
So, what exactly is the “New Right?”
A loose movement of radical intellectuals is driving American politics. They’re called the “New Right,” and they share a basic hostility to American liberal democracy, a real desire to fundamentally overhaul it, and real influence in the White House. But why do they think that? H ... Show More
51m 36s
Aug 11
America is losing big on sports betting
Almost every tech platform is designed to grab and hold your attention, to keep you clicking, scrolling, and buying for as long as possible. Sports gambling has become one of the clearest examples of this. The industry has created frictionless apps on your phone that let you bet ... Show More
53m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2021
Help me love reading again | Ask a Book Critic
A listener asks for help with getting out of a reading rut. A voracious reader as a child, they now need some help falling in love with reading again. Vox Book Critic Constance Grady recommends big, grab-you-by-the-throat books to help us all rediscover our love of reading. Plus, ... Show More
10m 35s
Aug 2021
The sex, drugs, and murder reading list | Ask a Book Critic
A listener asked for books that are mysterious, intriguing, and may or may not involve a murder. More specifically, books like The Secret History. Vox book critic Constance Grady gives four recommendations this week, including an entire genre. Plus, hear part of last year’s Vox B ... Show More
11m 49s
Feb 2020
239: Is Love Best When It's Fresh?
Our romantic lives with our partners will inevitably change over time. How can we navigate these changes in long term relationships? Listen to today's show to learn some tools and insights into this thing we call LOVE. In this episode, we discuss relationship advice topics that i ... Show More
49m 58s
Oct 2022
How To Build a Happy Life: The Complexities of Human Love
Dating apps show us what we want—a relationship—without always accurately reflecting the experience of it. Our expectation that tech will create anything more than opportunities for social connectedness may overlook the hard work of coexisting with another human being. A conversa ... Show More
28m 57s
Oct 2020
When Should You Say I Love You?
When should you say I love you? Today’s caller was curious when is an appropriate time to tell someone you love them when you’ve been in a dating relationship. I know a lot of you have wondered the same thing, and questions in my inbox to prove it! So today we’re tackling this im ... Show More
15m 42s
Sep 2021
10. Romance et soumission | Deuxième partie
Dans la première partie de cet épisode, on a tenté d’analyser et de déconstruire la romance. Cette prise de recul met en lumière la soumission que la romance implique pour les minorités de genre, mais est-ce suffisant pour reprendre du pouvoir sur nos passions amoureuses ? Car si ... Show More
32m 11s
Sep 2023
22: Realism and Other Romances feat. Grace Lavery
Abby and Patrick welcome writer and academic Grace Lavery to discuss her new book Pleasure and Efficacy: Of Pen Names, Cover Versions, and Other Trans Techniques. They discuss Grace’s relationship to psychoanalysis; her uses of Freud and Freudianism for both theoretical and pragm ... Show More
1h 29m
Feb 2023
Stories of Love
Proust as an agony uncle, Romeo and Juliet rewritten as 21st century Welsh teenagers in a new drama by Gary Owen, the Lesbian coming of age novel by Rita Mae Brown that inspired the lead character in Willy Russell's Educating Rita to change her name and a new book inspired by the ... Show More
44m 44s
Mar 2022
Culture Clash: Couples Therapy with Carlos and Ashley
This week we’re wrapping up a series we started in February called Couples Therapy! I’ve invited four courageous couples to join me on the podcast for on-air counseling sessions. We’re going behind the curtain of marriage, and giving you a sneak peek of all the things married cou ... Show More
1h 7m