Plato’s Symposium pushes the reader to reevaluate those attributes of life which most people hold in high esteem. Plato used a competition to eulogize Love as a device to demonstrate the pervasiveness of positive assumptions within human thought. The men who attended the celebratory banquet described in Plato’s work portrayed Love as the balance of natural elements, the pursuit of knowledge, an unquestioning service, a comedic mythology, and other examples which imposed all beauty and good upon this active force. These views portrayed the common idolization of Love.
Plato contradicts these positive theories of Love through the wise voice and reasoning of Socrates. Socrates expounded his belief that a competition of eulogies failed to derive the true nature of Love. Through Socrates, Plato stated:
“And I understood then that I was a fool when I told you I would take my turn in singing the honours of Love, and admitted I was terribly clever in love affairs, whereas it seems I really had no idea how a eulogy ought to be made. For I was stupid enough to think that we ought to speak the truth about each person eulogized, and to make this the foundation, and from these truths to choose the most beautiful things and arrange them in the most elegant way; and I was quite proud to think how well I should speak, because I believed I knew the truth. However, apparently this was not the right way to praise anything, but we should dedicate all that is greatest and most beautiful to the work, whether things are so or not; if they were false it did not matter.” (p. 101)
After this statement Socrates continued to question the theories of his cohort, and he reasoned that Love is neither good nor beautiful. All description of the emotion depends upon the context. An addict loves his drug, but love of this kind is damaging.
Plato’s Symposium exemplifies the value of questioning common assumptions. The beneficial attributes of a particular entity cannot be allowed to negate detrimental effects. Love within the Symposium, is a descriptive term for the status of a relationship not an indicator of merit. Plato relayed the importance of individual reflection upon societal norms.
Plato contradicts these positive theories of Love through the wise voice and reasoning of Socrates. Socrates expounded his belief that a competition of eulogies failed to derive the true nature of Love. Through Socrates, Plato stated:
“And I understood then that I was a fool when I told you I would take my turn in singing the honours of Love, and admitted I was terribly clever in love affairs, whereas it seems I really had no idea how a eulogy ought to be made. For I was stupid enough to think that we ought to speak the truth about each person eulogized, and to make this the foundation, and from these truths to choose the most beautiful things and arrange them in the most elegant way; and I was quite proud to think how well I should speak, because I believed I knew the truth. However, apparently this was not the right way to praise anything, but we should dedicate all that is greatest and most beautiful to the work, whether things are so or not; if they were false it did not matter.” (p. 101)
After this statement Socrates continued to question the theories of his cohort, and he reasoned that Love is neither good nor beautiful. All description of the emotion depends upon the context. An addict loves his drug, but love of this kind is damaging.
Plato’s Symposium exemplifies the value of questioning common assumptions. The beneficial attributes of a particular entity cannot be allowed to negate detrimental effects. Love within the Symposium, is a descriptive term for the status of a relationship not an indicator of merit. Plato relayed the importance of individual reflection upon societal norms.