Plato’s “Symposium” and
Contemporary Love
Philosophical Analysis
Written by DJ Hadoken
I believe that each speech within
The Symposium lacks
some important aspect necessary for “the true understanding of love” in a
contemporary sense, however, viewed in its entirety,
The Symposium presents a surprising, perhaps reassuring reminder
of life: that no matter the passage of time or amount of years, the concept of
love survives ages.
The philosophers themselves clearly had an understanding of their topic,
although, throughout their speeches they seemed to be lacking “something”. This
may be simply due to the time period (around 375 B.C.) in which this work was
written and to their difference in beliefs from the contemporary world.
Their view of love depends highly on the Greek gods, which causes them to
analyze love itself as a god or, in the case of Socrates, a spirit. In all
circumstances, an entity rather than a feeling. They focus on
how love is and not
what or
why love
is.
Agathon only describes love and how love behaves as a god and what it wants. How
it works throughout the world to fulfill its own desires. In the contemporary
world (with some exceptions) love is not a god, simply a feeling.
One
may argue that love does not travel throughout the world finding what it wants,
but that love is summoned from within a being, and that the feeling of love is
what guides a person. A person obtains what they want using love as a tool.
Socrates’ speech emphasizes that love is an appreciation of beauty to its
highest degree. Contrastingly, modern society believes love to be a universal
feeling, that “love is blind” in the way where it cannot determine what a
beautiful object can be. Love is manifested within each person. A person is
capable of loving anything.
Diotima argues that love is neither beautiful nor repulsive, that it is neither
good nor bad. Today, love itself is (existentially) beautiful- something which
is rarely debated upon. Socrates and Diotima question the purity of love,
demonstrating another clash with modern society’s view that love is ultimate. It
is what some people seek for their entire lives.
Interestingly, by interpreting some specific ideas in particular, mainly
presented by Aristophanes, Agathon, Socrates and Diotima, we are able to observe
a set of values that seem to still be present within today’s view of love.
For example, Aristophanes speaks that love brings the desire to combine with
one’s companion. That it is a thirst in which neither partner is completely rid
of. It is a desire to combine, to become one entity, rather than two separate
entities. This view that love is a form of unity also survives today.
Agathon speaks of love as being responsible for many of the feelings felt within
the world- sensualism, delight, desire, etc. This is a view that has not changed
in our contemporary world.
Diotima speaks of love as being the key to immortality. Something that may be
undeniably true, love is humanity’s power over death. In the contemporary world,
the proof of this is demonstrated every day that humanity continues to exist,
centuries after the creation of this work. Love is immortal. With love the human
race itself remains immortal.
Finally, the belief that love must embrace all areas of a person, not simply
physical beauty is still relevant today. Love of something simply for its
physical appearance is not love. Love is also an exception to some rules. Such
as regarding promises, as Pausanias states, “A promise inspired by passion is no
promise at all.”
Yet, even today society cannot completely grasp
why love happens. Why it may influence a person’s actions so
significantly. In whatever form, it remains desirable, and to obtain it is to
obtain true happiness.
I believe that our “contemporary world” interpretation of “the true meaning of
love” is not completely captured by any single speaker in
The Symposium. But we can uncover similarities if we interpret their speeches from a broader
perspective.
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