Have you ever stopped to ponder what the ancient philosopher Socrates had to say about love? In a world where swipe-right culture seems to dominate, turning back the clock over two millennia might not be your first instinct when seeking relationship advice. Yet, here we are, ready to dive into “Socrates on love” – a topic that has intrigued thinkers for generations. This isn’t just another history lesson; it’s about unearthing timeless wisdom that still resonates deeply with our modern quest for connection and fulfillment.
Table of Contents:
- Socrates’ Unconventional Views on Love
- The Life and Times of Socrates
- Diotima’s Teachings on Love in Plato’s Symposium
- Alcibiades’ Admiration for Socrates
- The Relevance of Socrates’ Ideas on Love Today
- Conclusion
Socrates’ Unconventional Views on Love: Socrates on Love
Like many of his ideas, Socrates’ quotes on love can be a revelation and a different path in how we approach love and our impressions of its nature.
Many have studied Socrates’s teachings and quotes, but very few have examined his views on love. Perplexingly enough, love has not been high on the Western philosophical agenda since, well… the beginning of philosophy, which took place in Ancient Greece.
Socrates’ Famous Quotes on Love
Socrates quotes on love can be eye-opening:
“Love is a madness produced by an unsatisfiable rational desire to understand the ultimate truth about the world.”
“Love is born into every human being; it calls back the halves of our original nature together; it tries to make one out of two and heal the wound of human nature.”
Socrates believed love wasn’t just a feeling but a powerful force driving us to chase after wisdom and uncover truths. He had this idea that truly loving someone means you’re always chasing after their best qualities and beauty, wanting to keep it by your side forever.
In Plato’s Symposium, Socrates argues that love is not a god but rather a spirit that mediates between humans and gods. Love is the desire for something we lack, namely goodness and beauty.
Socrates’ Unique Perspective on Relationships: Socrates on Love
For Socrates, the highest form of love is not romantic or sexual love but rather the love of wisdom or philosophy. He saw physical attraction as the lowest rung on the ladder of love, which ultimately led to the contemplation of pure beauty and goodness.
Socrates believed that the love of wisdom could transform individuals and societies. By constantly questioning and examining ourselves and others, we can move closer to truth and virtue.
The Life and Times of Socrates: Socrates on Love
It’s important to situate Socrates’ views on love within the context of his life and times to fully understand them.
D’Angour asks us to imagine Socrates as a young man falling in love. Every superhero has an origin story, so perhaps the greatest Greek philosopher began his quest with an unusual experience that motivated him to pursue virtue and knowledge.
Socrates was born in Athens around 470 BCE, the son of a stonemason and a midwife. He received a basic Greek education, but his real education came from engaging in dialogue with the people of Athens.
Socrates’ Role in Ancient Greek Society
Many consider Socrates one of the forbearers of philosophical thinking during Antiquity.
Socrates really shook things up, poking and prodding at the political and social customs of his time like nobody’s business. He had a knack for challenging everyone, not sparing anyone from his curiosity – be it top-notch politicians or your everyday artisans. His method was to engage in dialogue, asking probing questions to expose his interlocutors’ contradictions and lack of knowledge.
The Influence of Socrates on Western Philosophy: Socrates on Love
Although Socrates was exhorting the people of Athens to pursue the fullness of truth and to live the best life possible, his method inevitably exposed their lack of knowledge and limited virtue.
Socrates really shook things up in the world of Western philosophy with his groundbreaking ideas and unique way of tackling problems. His student Plato went on to found the Academy in Athens, which became a center of learning for centuries. Plato’s student Aristotle further developed many of Socrates’ ideas.
Diotima’s Teachings on Love in Plato’s Symposium: Socrates on Love
In Plato’s Symposium, Socrates recounts the teachings of Diotima, a wise woman who instructed him in the art of love. Her ideas form the core of Socrates’ understanding of love.
D’Angour says we already possess enough historical information to reconstruct this early experience. Plato himself provides important evidence in the Socratic dialogues he wrote in tribute to his teacher.
The Symposium is a dialogue at a dinner party attended by several notable Athenians, including the playwright Aristophanes and the young Alcibiades. Each guest gives a speech in praise of love.
Diotima’s Ladder of Love
In this chapter, I offer an overview of current scholarly debates on Plato’s Lysis and argue for my own interpretation of the dialogue. In the Lysis, Socrates argues that all love is motivated by the desire for one’s own good.
Diotima describes a “ladder of love” that starts with attraction to a particular beautiful body and progresses to love of all physical beauty, then to love of the beauty of the soul, the beauty of laws and institutions, and finally to love of absolute beauty itself.
The Ultimate Goal of Love According to Diotima: Socrates on Love
This conclusion has struck many interpreters as unattractive, so much so that some attempt to reinterpret the dialogue, such that it either does not offer an account of interpersonal love or that it offers an account on which love is, in fact, an other-regarding state. Others, notably Vlastos, criticize Socrates’ theory as implausible and egoistic. I maintain, against the first group, that Socrates offers an egoistic theory of love. I argue against the second that while Socrates’ theory may be repellent, it possesses considerable explanatory power and avoids certain weaknesses that infect contemporary approaches to love.
For Diotima (and Socrates), the ultimate aim of love is not romantic union but rather the attainment of wisdom and immortality through the contemplation of absolute beauty. Love acts like a bridge to reach that loftier goal we’re all after.
Alcibiades’ Admiration for Socrates: Socrates on Love
The Symposium culminates with the drunken arrival of Alcibiades, a former student and admirer of Socrates. His speech offers a vivid portrait of Socrates as a lover and teacher.
At the end of Socrates’s discussion of love, the young man Alcibiades crashes the party, drunk, and gives a speech not on love but on Socrates.
Alcibiades barges in, supported by a flute girl, and immediately starts praising Socrates drunkenly and impassionedly. He compares Socrates to a satyr, a mythical creature that is ugly on the outside but full of divine images within.
Alcibiades’ Praise of Socrates
In his speech, Alcibiades discusses his love for and difficulty courting Socrates. His description of Socrates seems to describe someone who has completed the ascent—a person who concerns themselves with abstract knowledge rather than concrete physical pleasures or pains.
Alcibiades couldn’t help but admire Socrates’s bravery in battle, his ability to barely notice even the toughest conditions, and his incredible knack for keeping his cool. He also recounts his failed attempt to seduce Socrates, who resisted his advances and chastised him for pursuing mere physical beauty.
The Complex Relationship Between Alcibiades and Socrates: Socrates on Love
Alcibiades’s two main points both emphasize Socrates as a man unconcerned with physical things:
The relationship between Alcibiades and Socrates was complex. Alcibiades was drawn to Socrates’ wisdom and charisma but ultimately rejected his teachings in favor of a life of political ambition and excess. Socrates saw in Alcibiades great potential for both good and evil.
The Relevance of Socrates’ Ideas on Love Today
What can we learn from Socrates’ ancient ideas about love? Quite a bit, it turns out.
This philosophy story about Socrates and his student Plato has been circulated on the internet for a while. I’ve referred to it several times whenever discussing matters with family or friends, but sometimes I have had difficulties pointing the link since it’s gone or for other reasons. I will just put it here so I can refer to my own link next time.
Socrates’ ideas about the nature and purpose of love still resonate today. His emphasis on pursuing wisdom and virtue, rather than mere physical pleasure, challenges our often superficial notions of romantic love.
Applying Socratic Love to Modern Relationships: Socrates on Love
Love, Marriage, Happiness, Affair, and Life – Lessons given by Socrates
Ever wondered how Socrates’ famous love ladder might actually play out in our everyday relationships? We could start by valuing our partners’ minds and characters above their physical attributes. We could strive to grow together in wisdom and virtue, supporting each other’s highest aspirations.
The Importance of Seeking Wisdom and Beauty in Love
For years our historical knowledge of Socrates has been informed by conventional interpretations of the evidence that survives from antiquity. But in an exciting new book, Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher, Armand D’Angour, an associate professor of classics at Oxford, gives us a fresh perspective and a new interpretation.
Ultimately, Socrates challenges us to see love as a means to something greater than itself – a path to wisdom, beauty, and goodness. By loving with our minds as well as our hearts, we can elevate our relationships and ourselves.
Key Takeaway: Socrates on Love
Socrates shows us love’s real power: it’s not just about romance, but a journey to wisdom and truth. He turns the spotlight on loving for beauty, goodness, and growth above all else.
Conclusion: Socrates on Love
In wrapping up our journey through the lens of “Socrates on love,” it becomes clear that this ancient wisdom holds more than mere historical value. It offers us profound insights into navigating human connections with grace and depth. Through examining his teachings, we’re reminded of the enduring power of questioning, learning, and growing in all aspects of life – especially love. So while technology continues to evolve at breakneck speed, some truths remain constant across time and space.
Perhaps next time you find yourself reflecting on matters of the heart or scrolling endlessly through profiles online, take a moment to channel your inner Socrates. Ask deeper questions beyond surface-level attractions; seek beauty in forms greater than physical appearances; strive towards personal growth within relationships. Let’s keep these conversations going – because if there’s one thing more infectious than falling in love, it’s sharing genuine insight into why we yearn for it so profoundly.
