Ideals of Love in Plato's Symposium
Ideals of Love in Plato's SymposiumAs much as our society has become involved in the advancement of feminism and the equality of the sexes, there is one fact that neither gender can ignore; none can survive without the other. Love and the want of a soul mate keeps each member of man and womankind in the constant search of the perfect person with whom to become one. Yet if this bond is a necessity of the human race then why has the meaning, purpose and pursuit of it eluded us for so many generations. There has yet to be a one universal explanation of love and there has yet to be one who understands its powers fully. As we see from Plato's Symposium, even to the wisest of men, in a time when the search for knowledge was seen as the pathway to enlightenment, love was still a concept that was not understood and unknown. Though many of their guidelines and characteristics of love are wise, some may not apply to modern society. Plato's Symposium serves as a pamphlet that depicts some of the guidelines of love as the philosophers of Plato's time saw them. The intervention of the Gods in the speeches of the philosophers can be interpreted to mean the different aspects of love and their affects on people. It seemed as though in
If he is rejected for what he truly is than he is disgraced for lying about it, yet if he is lying about his knowledge or virtue in attempt to gain more virtue or knowledge than he is noble for the effort. Phaedrus soon builds on this point by stating that a true test of one's love for their mate is the value of their life. Love may be an ever-changing concept that adapts itself to the society in which it exists. The two were joined back to back with two faces, four arms and four feet. Also the ideas of actions done out of virtue and respect rather than love also seems to be a dated concept. Therefore I believe that this idea of sacrifice in the name of honor seems an invalid argumenttoday. Our concepts of love and what is noble are undoubtedly different than those in Plato's Symposium showing that the concepts of love definitely change with time. In this myth we learn that through these beliefs man and women were once created as one being. Yet today our values of honor have changed. If the philosophers truly thought that beings were identical in creation then why are the rights of one half greater than those of the other? Eventually Socrates begins to convey his philosophy on the idea of love, yet he goes about it in a different way than his predecessors. Aristophanes continues and states an idea that in itself is a troubling double standard that is proof that even philosophers were blinded by sexual prejudices. Comparisons between the fates of Achilles and Orpheus are brought up to emphasize his point. By carrying on their name or traits they are in essence carrying on themselves. Yet on the opposite side of the spectrum we learn of Orpheus who was punished for his selfishness in that he would sooner have his loved one die than threaten his own existence. The pursuit of the other half is what Aristophanes designated love.
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