The Concept of Love and Its Significance in Selected Works by Iris Murdoch

This diploma thesis focuses on the central concept of love formulated in the philosophy of Iris Murdoch and its subsequent elaboration and manifestation in Murdoch's literary works, exemplified in two of her novels, The Sea, the Sea (1978) and The Unicorn (1963). Love as a concept that leads humanity to goodness is developed in one of Murdoch's most significant philosophical works, The Sovereignty of Good (1970). Therefore, this work is used as the foundation for this analysis. This thesis aims to trace the manifestations of the concept of love in the two novels in order to show the connection between Murdoch's philosophical view of love as a force of liberation from fantasy and the development of the main characters in her novels, who could exemplify this liberation. The theoretical part provides details of Murdoch's personal life and philosophy that define her view of the concept of love and its related aspects, such as the concept of attention. The practical part aims to prove how the concept of love facilitates the characters'path towards goodness. The secondary aim of the thesis is also to show how such an illustration of her philosophical concept in her literary works can have a morally educational impact on the reader. The conclusion compares the findings in previous chapters concerning the...