In The Symposium

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Pages: 5
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Ben Cooke
December 5th 2014
Philosophy 302

Criticism of Love in the Symposium In the Symposium by Plato there are seven speeches on love. Each person giving the speech attempts to define what love is or what the ideal form of love is. While there are some useful ideas in the speeches, particularly in Socrates’s speech, when it comes to love Plato missed the mark. One of the useful ideas put forth is the idea of true belief. True belief is a middle ground between knowledge and ignorance. Given my knowledge of the world today and knowing my ignorance of philosophical thought in general, it is my true belief that love as discussed in The Symposium does not exist. Love is a purely social construct and does not exist as a god or a intrinsic …show more content…
It is what keeps marriages together, stays the hand of would be murderers and thieves, and prevents the governments of the world from wiping out humanity with their wars. The truth is love exists not because it is part of the universe, but because it has survival value. Without the noble lie of love, mankind would have already wiped itself out either through ignorance or violence. In the first speech Phaedrus speaks of the primordial god of love and the wild energy that causes lovers to drive each other to greater and greater feats and sacrifices for one another. He also speaks of the tamer, more tender version of this intimacy that civilizes and socializes the younger lover. First of all, the concept of a god of love still exists today. Its absorption into Christianity can be summed up with the popular statement “God is Love”. This concept of a god of love is a noble lie used to keep the masses sedated and in the pews, or to manipulate political and cultural opinions towards tolerance. Phaedrus’s second and third ideas have merit and are observed in many species, including our own. These behaviors are not limited to lovers and are frequently …show more content…
First, he maneuvers Agathon into contradicting himself, then goes on to tell about love of beauty, wisdom, and knowledge. He tells an allegory of the painful ascent to enlightenment. At first, I did not think his position was relevant to love as I view it, particularly in respect to virtue continuing after death. Then I reconsidered his, or rather Diatoma’s, statements on immortality and enlightenment. The seeker on the path of enlightenment must elevate others along the way, providing a sort of mentorship. Their relentless pursuit of beauty and examination of reality inevitably yields some sort of clue to the true nature of the world, and the seeker shares it with others along his journey. (White) This is the very root of social survival strategies, and the beginnings of scientific discovery. By observing the world and sharing knowledge, by assisting those mentally weaker than they are, the seeker of enlightenment helps to ensure the survival of the entire species. In that way they achieve immortality both physically and mentally. Their genetic material will still exist in some form among their peers and their useful observations will be passed down from generation to generation. The noble lie of love will perpetuate itself through them without them ever needing to truly experience it. (Levy) The seventh and final speech in The Symposium is a drunken rant by Alcibiates about Socrates, and exemplifies
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