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Roland Barthes' Le discours amoureux: A Treatise on Love

publication · 2026-04-23

Roland Barthes' "Le discours amoureux" is examined as part of a long tradition of love treatises, from Plato's "Symposium" and Ovid's "The Art of Love" to Stendhal's "On Love" and Kierkegaard's "In vino veritas." The article posits that these works form an imaginary library where every lover consults an oracle seeking the truth of their life, yet always faces disappointment, as no philosophy can contain love's intractable nature.

Key facts

  • Roland Barthes wrote 'Le discours amoureux'.
  • The text is a treatise on love.
  • It references Plato's 'Symposium'.
  • It references Ovid's 'The Art of Love'.
  • It references Stendhal's 'On Love'.
  • It references Kierkegaard's 'In vino veritas'.
  • The article was published on artpress.com.
  • The publication date is January 1, 2008.

Entities

Artists

  • Roland Barthes
  • Plato
  • Ovid
  • Stendhal
  • Kierkegaard

Institutions

  • artpress

Sources