Plato s Symposium The Nature Of Love - 1320 Words

Plato’s Symposium explores the nature of love through several different telling’s of what love is by philosophers of the time. The speeches of Socrates, Alcibiades, and Aristophanes are of main focus, as their similarities and differences help the reader to decide the truth of the nature of love. Throughout the Symposium, the accounts of love vary from speaker to speaker. The speech given by Socrates differentiates from the viewpoints of Alcibiades and Aristophanes, as well as all of the other speeches given. While Alcibiades, Aristophanes, and the other speakers in the Symposium focus on love of the individual, Socrates speech focuses on the forms, specifically the form of beauty. Socrates’ speech, or rather the retelling of the priestess Diotima’s speech, tells of a love much different from that of the other speakers. His belief is, as taught by Diotima, that love is neither good, nor bad, wise, nor ignorant, immortal, nor mortal, beautiful, nor ugly. Love itself is in-between, as one would not desire unfavorable qualities, but also as Diotima argues, one would not desire what one already has. Therefore, love cannot be beautiful, as it would no longer desire beauty if that were the case. Diotima further illustrates this point by explaining to Socrates: [N]one of the gods loves wisdom or wants to become wise – for they are wise – and no one else who is wise already loves wisdom; on the other hand, no one who is ignorant will love wisdom either or want to become wise. ForShow MoreRelatedLove and Beauty1208 Words   |  5 PagesLove is neither wise nor beautiful, but the desire or pursuit of wisdom and beauty. Love is expressed via propagation and reproduction, as in the exchange and development of ideas. Socrates in the Symposium best expresses this belief. Socrates view of Love and Beauty was that one is the pursuit of the other, and that other is the greatest of all knowledge. Love is a driving force, a compulsion forward to a goal. Much as a moth is drawn to light, for its heat, people are lured to Beauty by LoveRead MoreA Comparison Of Thomas Mores Utopia, And The Symposium By Plato1607 Words   |  7 PagesUtopia by Thomas More, and The Symposium by Plato are similar in that they both challenge pre-existing no tions in society. The two stories prompt readers to reconsider certain aspects of life which one might have found to be quite one-sided. Thomas More introduces us to an island called Utopia which serves as a model of perfection in each facet of everyday life. In The Symposium, Plato and his friends contribute distinctive interpretations on the origin and meaning of love. Both author’s purpose in theirRead More Homoerotic Unions Make Up for Unsatisfying Marriages Essay1295 Words   |  6 PagesBased on textual evidence provided in Plato?s Symposium and Sappho?s lyric poetry, homoerotic relationships seem to be important and often essential unions that do not fit into the social construct of Hellenic marriages.Ê ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ?We human beings will never attain happiness unless we find perfect love (Plato 193c,? says Plato?s version of comic playwright Aristophanes.Ê However, it is not necessarily a joke.Ê For many people, perfect love is not to be found in Hellenic marriageRead MoreComparing The Theaetetus And The Nature Of Love1602 Words   |  7 PagesThere are many connections between the nature of knowledge in the Theaetetus and the nature of love in the Symposium. The concept of philosophy brings together the nature of knowledge and love. Notably, Diotima calls Love a lover of wisdom which in Greek means literally a philosopher (Benjamin Jowett, trans. Plato, Symposium and Phaedrus 27). Philia means, love and sophia means wisdom. The main topic of Plato’s Symposium is the question â€Å"what is love†. It is a record of six speeches by differentRead MoreDesire In The Symposium1508 Words   |  7 PagesIn Plato’s The Symposium, a group of well-versed men consider philosophical arguments, specifically regarding the role desire plays in a virtuous life. As academics and philosophers who hold high rank in the social system of ancient Greece, these men are praised for their wisdom and eloquence. One such philosopher, Pausanias, gives a speech early in the text that addresses desire as a multifaceted concept, setting the tone for the novel. The Bhagavad-Gita, an ancient Indian text that is much reveredRead MoreComparison And Contrast Of The Understanding Of Love1576 Words   |  7 PagesCONTRAST OF THE UNDERSTANDING OF LOVE Introduction The definition of love varies from person to person. However, it generally means the longing or desire that we have towards something or someone. Love is something that is intangible; you cannot touch it though you can feel it deep in your heart. Biblically, love is an important virtue and thus we get to understand that as human beings we cannot survive without the virtue of love. As I Previously said, the understanding of love varies from one individualRead MoreThe Great Philosopher728 Words   |  3 Pages2017 The Great Philosopher Plato Plato is known as one of ancient Greece’s greatest philosophers. Plato was born in Athens, Greece during 428 BCE. Some people believe that Plato s real name is Aristocles, if in fact this is true he would have received this name from his grandfather. Historians believed that Plato had two full brother, one sister, and one half brother. They are unsure if Plato was the eldest. They believe that he was since he inherited his grandfather s name, and tradition was thatRead More Context and Contradictions in Platos Phaedrus and Platos Symposium1970 Words   |  8 Pagesin Platos Phaedrus and Platos Symposium It is well known that Plato, a devoted student of Socrates, chronicled many of Socrates speeches and conversations. Every so often one can find instances where Socrates and other players in these conversations seem to contradict themselves, or at least muddle their arguments. One such occurrence of this is in Platos Symposium and Platos Phaedrus. Both texts speak of love in its physical sense, both texts describe love and its effects, and both discussRead MoreSummary Of The Symposium 1373 Words   |  6 PagesLost Objectivity in the Symposium The Symposium was written by Plato to illustrate a discussion between a group of friends. Additionally, the story presents numerous arguments that focus on the god Love and its merits. To pass time while they drink, Eryximachus suggests that each of the guests orate a eulogy of love. The guests proceed to participate in oration; however, their analysis of love may not be as objective as it seems. Rather than focus on an impartial view of the god, many of them haveRead MoreAristotle s Theory Of Virtue1493 Words   |  6 Pagescontrasts from its nature. For instance, the example of the fire; it is impossible to teach the fire to burn downwards, since its natural form is to constantly burn upwards. Put simply, whatever acts by its nature cannot be taught otherwise. Furthermore, Aristotle characterizes intellectual virtue as something that is acquired through experience and teaching, such as the skill of arithmetic. You’re not born into this world understand math without inst ruction and practice. â€Å"Neither by nature, then, nor