The Symposium by Plato has been considered as his least philosophical dialogue. The Symposium is comprised of a series of speeches. In order to draw a conclusion on Socrates view on love, we shall examine previous speeches and compare them to his speech. This will inevitably draw out similarities that will make a pattern emerge on Socrates viewpoint on love. Method and content remain the two key similarities. Considering the method, Socrates speech follows those of who preceded him by his use of mythology. This is seen in his story of the birth of Love from Want and Wit (203bff.) Phaedrus, Pausanias and Agathon also follow with their conception stories of Love. Now let us consider content similarities between these speeches. There are two concept similarities types.
In (195A1-3) Agathon observes that before one makes a speech to praise Love they should first define it and describe its effects. In other words; what is its nature. Socrates not only agrees with Agathon (201d7-e2), he urges his friends to examine and determine what virtue is before they can proceed with the inquiry of whether it can be taught or not. Socrates speech in the Symposium is similar in both ways to his predecessor’s in that he agrees in the effects attributed to Love and the nature of Love. Socrates agrees that Love is a good thing however; there are three less agreements on its effect.
First it is claimed by Phaedrus that Love inspires lovers to greater courage (178e3ff), as a lover would rather perish than be seen by their lover flee the field of battle. Diotima agrees as she observes that Love leads lovers to procreate then protect their offspring by fighting any enemy (207b3-4). Socrates is in full agreement of this but adds that Love not only brings...
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... also make things also came to be known as instances of poiehsis. Hence she argues that the name love has come to restricted only to lovers of people whereas it should mean lovers of anything.
Diotima uses an analogy to explain the distinction between contraries and contradictories (202a-b5). She defines right opinion or true belief (ortheh doxeh) as the middle ground between two extremes of ignorance and wisdom. Hence wisdom and ignorance are contraries not contradictories of each other. The refusal of any one might stem from true belief. Both analogies-of the makers and that of true belief- are significant as they elicit logical points and contribute to their argument. This is clearly brought out when Diotima further makes a point that there are spiritual makers as well as corporeal makers both manifesting the same drive; the quest of Love and its immortality.
In this paper I will be discussing the four charges brought against Socrates in Plato’s essay The Apology and why exactly each of these charges is completely fictitious. The four charges brought against Socrates were that he argued the physical over the metaphysical, he argued the weaker claim over the stronger claim, he went against the gods, and he was corrupting the youth. Each of these four charges is false for varying reasons and I will be addressing each explanation on why each charge is a complete sham, after discussing each charge.
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 Plato's Symposium and Plato's Phaedrus. Both texts speak of love in its physical sense, both texts describe love and its effects, and both discuss how it is best realized, yet they do this in very different fashions, and for different reasons.
For these two articles that we read in Crito and Apology by Plato, we could know Socrates is an enduring person with imagination, because he presents us with a mass of contradictions: Most eloquent men, yet he never wrote a word; ugliest yet most profoundly attractive; ignorant yet wise; wrongfully convicted, yet unwilling to avoid his unjust execution. Behind these conundrums is a contradiction less often explored: Socrates is at once the most Athenian, most local, citizenly, and patriotic of philosophers; and yet the most self-regarding of Athenians. Exploring that contradiction, between Socrates the loyal Athenian citizen and Socrates the philosophical critic of Athenian society, will help to position Plato's Socrates in an Athenian legal and historical context; it allows us to reunite Socrates the literary character and Athens the democratic city that tried and executed him. Moreover, those help us to understand Plato¡¦s presentation of the strange legal and ethical drama.
The ideas presented by the patrons in Plato’s Symposium differed immensely. All pertaining to a main topic, being love, but none having the same conclusion. Two speeches in particular, those of Pausanias and Aristophanes, seemed to oppose the most. Many elements of their arguments contradicted that of the others, none more than the origin of love and the whom is the eromenos of love.
In the Symposium, written by Plato, Socrates and others engage in a dialogue in the home of Agathon on love. Instead of "singing the honours" (94) of love like the other participants, Socrates uses a retelling of a discussion that he had with a woman named Diotima to tell the audience of what he perceives to be the truth of love.
In the Symposium, a most interesting view on love and soul mates are provided by one of the characters, Aristophanes. In the speech of Aristophanes, he says that there is basically a type of love that connects people. Aristophanes begins his description of love by telling the tale of how love began. He presents the tale of three sexes: male, female, and a combination of both. These three distinct sexes represented one’s soul. These souls split in half, creating a mirror image of each one of them. Aristophanes describes love as the search for the other half of your soul in this quote: “When a man’s natural form was split in two, each half went round looking for its other half. They put their arms around one another, and embraced each other, in their desire to grow together again. Aristophanes theme is the power of Eros and how not to abuse it.
During this essay, the trail of Socrates found in the Apology of Plato will be reviewed. What will be looked at during this review is how well Socrates rebuts the charges made against him. We will also talk about if Socrates made the right decision to not escape prison with Crito. Socrates was a very intelligent man; this is why this review is so critical. In Plato’s Apology, it seems that overall Socrates did an effective job using the 3 acts of the mind.
The final aspect of Philia that sets it so apart from the other loves in its unnatural ways is its exclusivity. In Eros, there is little choice in whom a person falls in love with and in Affection there are the factors of proximity and exposure. Friendship is different from both those types of love because it is the choice of the individual. They are able to choose one another, or as Lewis more explicitly says are chosen by God. There are many circumstances that must align in order for people to enter into friendships that God orchestrates. Lewis wants to make it clear that the pleasures of friendship are not rewards from our choosing. It is in a friendship that the beauties that lie in all men are found because it is from Him that these beauties are derived (90). Friendship is a peek into the true identities of other humans or the “chosen guests” of God’s coming feast (90). Lewis argues the point that friendship is the freest love, however, God is always in control of the details that pull individuals together. The sovereignty of God is the greatest gear in work within Lewis’s view.
From the beginning time love has always been a complicated subject matter full of competition. Usually, when the words “love” and “competition” are used together, they are automatically associated with love triangles. While this is true, there is more to love than person vs person conflict. There is also: person vs self (ex. emotions), person vs external factors (ex. social stigma), person vs lover, etc. All of these conflicts are highlighted in the writings of Greek, female author name Sappho.
By writing Symposium, Plato uses six characters to convey his idea of Love, the process of learning and thinking in a philosophical way. Each of these characters has a particular mission to elaborate different spheres of Love. However, these speeches given by six characters are not totally independent. They, to some extent, are connected; some of them agree or disagree with the previous one; some of them improve the idea of the former speakers. In conclusion, according to Symposium, Love is multi-faced.
Through Plato’s writing, we are able to learn quite a lot about Socrates, who is considered the father of western philosophy. Socrates never recorded any of his own ideas so we must always see him through the eyes of Plato. In the book, we learn that
Nearly everyone experiences the feeling of love. Whether it’s for another person or for food, almost everyone feels love during their lifetime. In the play Antigone, the writer, Sophocles, illustrates a very important fact regarding love: love is our most important and most dangerous motivation for doing anything, and without moderation, love can be deadly.
Whether Socrates is portrayed correctly or not, he certainly was a great man. His contribution to western thought cannot be denied. For even if his teachings were different from what they are known to be at present, his influence on Plato is immense. And so, it is no small matter to describe the tragic passing of such a man as Socrates was and remains for philosophy today. Yet in all the indignation which is expected to arise at the death of Socrates, the panache with which he departs is captured excellently in Plato's “Apology.” Specifically, at the end of the "Apology," Socrates makes a very important statement that has had great impact on philosophy ever since its original proclamation. The Stoics in particular have taken this to be the cornerstone of their ideology. The statement made is that "you must regard one thing at least as certain—that no harm can come to a good man either in his life or after his death,” (Plato 100). The following examination focuses therefore on a brief explanation of the circumstances which lead to this statement being made by Socrates, as well as a closer look at why he thinks this to be the case. It is assumed that this statement is true, and validation for that assumption is to be sought as well.
One of the eight concepts is “Eros” or Erotic love, which represents sexual passion and desire— typically falling under romantic relationships. Eros is mostly based on sexual feelings and desires rather than anything else. The next type of love is “Philia” or Affectionate love, which describes the love of friends—especially ones that experienced hard times with each other. This type of love is free from romance, but mostly focuses on loyalty. In addition, “Storge” or Familial love symbolizes natural love between family, principally between parents and children. Like “Philia” it is also free of romance. The fourth type of love in Greek society is “Ludus” or Playful love that symbolizes a playful form of love, for example, between lovers. Every relationship should maintain the playful form to retain a fresh relationship and to stray away from always being serious. The fifth type of love is “Mania” or Obsessive love, which a person becomes jealous because they want love and to be loved. This love can lead to many problems in a romantic or interpersonal relationship because of jealousy. Next is “Pragma” or Enduring love, which symbolizes a matured love over time. Furthermore, this relationship has passed physical touches— but developed into a casual, loving relationship. Does not only include marriages, but friendships that have occurred for a long time. Moreover, “Philautia” or Self love occurs when we love ourselves regardless of anything. The Greeks acknowledged that we must first love ourselves before we can demonstrate love to anyone else. We cannot share what we do not obtain, we must first love ourselves (Sol, 2016). Additionally, the eighth type of Greek love is “Agape” or Selfless love, which is unconditional love. Out of all the types of loves, it is the purest due to the reason it does not expect anything. Regardless of how many mistakes or flaws a person has,
To conclude, in the ancient Greek language, love was broken down into four simple words. Agape, is love guided knowingly by principles. The verb phileo, means to have affection, though not inspired by our sentiments, while its noun, philia is defined as friendship. Storge is the natural affection that exists between family and eros, even though is not mentioned on by the inspired Bible writers its meaning means a romantic love between a man and a woman. In the end, these are the four easily understood words the Greeks used to define love.