THE PHILOSOPHY OF CRYING (GRÅT)

THE PHILOSOPHY OF CRYING: Why We Weep and What It Means

Why do human beings cry? We are the only animals who shed emotional tears; we cry from grief, joy, frustration, love, beauty and loss, and yet, this most familiar of behaviours remains strangely mysterious.  What, exactly, are our tears trying to say?

In The Philosophy of Crying, Eric Cullhed takes readers on a fascinating journey through one of the most universal and least understood aspects of being human. From the ancient Stoics to Freud, from Japanese aesthetics to modern neuroscience, philosophers, psychologists, theologians and scientists have all offered competing explanations for why we weep. Are tears a release valve for unbearable emotion? A sign of weakness? A cry for comfort? Or are they, perhaps, our deepest way of expressing what matters most?

The author, a cross-disciplinary professor at Uppsala University, is uniquely placed to answer these questions. Drawing on a decade of interdisciplinary research spanning philosophy, classics, psychology and the natural sciences, he identifies seven major theories of crying and brings them into conversation for the first time. The result is an original and compelling new understanding of tears: not as a symptom to be dismissed, but as a language of vulnerability, attachment and value.

Rich with surprising stories, big ideas and moments of recognition, The Philosophy of Crying is intelligent, accessible narrative nonfiction for readers of Mary Roach, Sarah Bakewell and Lisa Feldman Barrett.

The Philosophy of Crying is Eric Cullhed’s trade debut. It is also the first of several planned books, written for the wider trade audience, in which the author will explore other universal yet elusive dimensions of human experience, combining deep global cultural history with insights from philosophy, psychology, and the natural sciences.

330 pages

Rights Sold

Sweden: Natur & Kultur

REVIEWS

‘A brilliant journey between ancient mythology and modern science. …[Cullhed] systematically examines every hypothesis, and I am blown away by the professor’s vast knowledge. Playfully and effortlessly, he wanders through all the university’s departments as if they were his natural habitat. … If this book isn’t nominated for the August Prize, I’ll be the one who bursts into tears.’
– Uppsala Nya Tidning / SWE

‘Cullhed tackles the book’s central argument with erudition, piercing insight and overall finesse. … [He] moves freely yet methodically through centuries of reflection on human tears, touching upon figures as famous as Hobbes, Freud and Sartre, as well as more anonymous thinkers… Cullhed benefits from both an excellent literary style and a very special subject, one with the power to strike a chord within every person who has ever shed a tear.’
– Helena Granström, Expressen / SWE

‘The style is learned and witty … With its instructional and international approach, the book gives the impression of wanting to be read in many languages.’
– Alva Dahl, Svenska Dagbladet / SWE

‘It’s impressive. …there [are] passages where the book suddenly becomes very powerful. … What makes these passages so compelling is that they allow different understandings of crying to coexist.’
– Isabelle Ståhl, Dagens Nyheter / SWE

‘…thanks to Eric Cullhed’s deep dive into the sea of tears, I have finally found the answer [to why we cry] – or rather, seven different theories, which, taken together, are probably as close to an answer as one can get. … The Philosophy of Tears is well worth reading for anyone who struggles with tears, or indeed with understanding what it truly means to be human.’
– Amanda Svensson, Sydsvenskan / SWE

‘…The Philosophy of Crying is an important book. It is a timeless monument to the power of human knowledge… and I hope it will be widely read.’
– Daniel Strand, Anekdot / SWE

‘Cullhed, a professor of Greek, examines weeping with the same meticulous devotion as a Dylanologist dissecting the song title “It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a train to cry”.’
– Johan Kellman Larsson, essay in Dagens Nyheter / SWE

‘Endlessly fascinating’
– Carin Brygger, essay on Sveriges Radio / SWE

‘Cullhed writes elegantly and the analysis is meticulous throughout. The research is thorough and the bibliography is extensive.’
– BTJ / SWE