On Solov’yëv’s View of Love and its Affinities with Proclus and Maximus the Confessor

This book explores the concept of love in the work of Russian philosopher Vladimir Solov’yëv (1853–1900), with a focus on two of his writings: La Sophia (1875–1876) and Smysl lyubvi (The Meaning of Love, 1892–1894). The author analyzes how the concept of ‘Sophia’ (wisdom as a feminine, divine force) and the idea of All-Unity (a universal all-encompassing unity) converge in Solov’yëv’s deeper philosophical-theological vision of love.

The study connects Solov’yëv’s ideas to those of the Neoplatonist Proclus and the Christian Church Father Maximus the Confessor. The central research questions are: what is the relationship between ‘love’ and ‘Sophia’ in Solov’yëv’s thought, and which Neoplatonic and Patristic elements influenced his conception of love?

The author argues that The Meaning of Love does not explicitly mention the name ‘Sophia’, but implicitly describes a ‘Sophianic reality’ in which love fulfills a theurgical function. This reality has three dimensions: philosophical, religious-mystical, and social. Through comparisons with Proclus and Maximus, the author shows how Solov’yëv develops a unique, integrative vision in which love leads to the unification of the individual, humanity, and the divine.

This research offers an original approach to Solov’yëv’s thought, with particular attention to mystical experience, metaphysical love, and the striving for wholeness. It fills a gap in the existing literature by systematically exploring the connection between love, Sophia, and the influence of Proclus and Maximus.

Paraskevi Zacharia (1983) studied Classical Languages in Athens and later Russian. She obtained her PhD at Radboud University with a dissertation on Solov’yëv’s philosophy of love. She has published on theology, mysticism, and Neoplatonism, taught students, and presented internationally. She is an active member of various academic networks and received several fellowships, including OIKOS, the International Society for Neoplatonic Studies, the International Orthodox Theological Association, and the Mystical Theology Network.