Socrates s View Of Love - 2063 Words

In The Symposium, Love is described to be a goddess by the men who are praising her powers in several eulogies. However, Socrates proves that their claims are incorrect evaluations during his speech. Socrates chooses to analyze and discuss the truth of love through rhetoric rather than submit to the ‘illusionary’ art of poetry that the other men used. Although the context of Love is set up in the mythological sense, Socrates’ speech transcends the topic from merely describing the goddess’ powers to separating her as an entity from the actions and emotions that go along with the conception of ‘loving’: â€Å"I think you saw Love as the object of love instead of the lover† (Plato, 40, 204b). Socrates, takes the route of philosophy and aims to†¦show more content†¦The idea that Socrates is portraying is that one must move past the emotions attached to the physical world and transcend into the love of the mind. The goal of going thr ough these steps is to find this essential idea of beauty so that, in this divine sense, one can see love everywhere. Love therefore, is shown in the mythological realm, but also as an abstract conception of the emotions and actions that Love spurs within humans for the desire to search out and attain beauty. Socrates touches on the idea of what it means to love another person, and how to find absolute beauty in this pursuit. The Fire Next Time emphasizes love in the communal sense and how when facing extreme hatred, love can bring the marginalized together. Baldwin’s text is heavily concentrated on the prejudicial attitudes towards the African-Americans by the Americans during the early 1960’s. The racism described in this text is stressed by the violent actions towards - and the overall dehumanization of - the African-Americans. However, the hatred towards their race encourages the group to love each other more: â€Å"if we had not loved each other none of us would have survived† (Baldwin, 7). The African-Americans are driven to other sources of love when exiled from the acceptance of the whites, and ultimately come together as a unit to oppose the race who is persistent on tearing away their humanity. InsteadShow MoreRelatedLove and Beauty1208 Words   |  5 PagesLove is neither wise nor beautiful, but the desire or pursuit of wisdom and beauty. Love is expressed via propagation and reproduction, as in the exchange and development of ideas. Socrates in the Symposium best expresses this belief. Socrates view of Love and Beauty was that one is the pursuit of the other, and that other is the greatest of all knowledge. Love is a driving force, a compulsion forward to a goal. Much as a moth is drawn to light, for its heat, people are lured to Beauty by LoveRead MorePlato s The Trial And Death Of Socrates Essay1671 Words   |  7 PagesTrial and Death of Socrates presents the reader with complex competing conceptions of what should be considered â€Å"the good life†. According to Socrates, â€Å"the most important thing is not life, but the good life† (Crito, 48b). The majority, who live a non-philosophical life, believes the goods of life include wealth, reputation, and honor: all things that can easily be taken away or destroyed. On the other hand, Socrates lives a philosophical life filled with self-sufficiency. He views wisdom, truth, andRea d MoreSocrates : The Suicide Of Socrates1405 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates was born in 470 BCE in Athens, Greece. His father was Sophroniscus, a sculptor and stone mason from Athens and his mother was a midwife by the name of Phaenarete (30 Interesting Socrates Facts 2014). Socrates original profession was masonry and sculpting, before becoming a philosopher. On a day in 399 BC, Socrates ( roughly 71 years at the time) went to trial.Now why would anyone want to send an old man to court? Three answer is that Socrates was accused of refusing to recognize theRead MoreSocrates Sides with Creon or a1379 Words   |  6 PagesSocrates#8217; Sides With? Through my reading of Plato#8217;s Apology of Socrates and Crito, I have been able to see how Socrates makes important decisions and what he primarily bases his decisions on. As a individual person we have individual morals which lead us to our own moral or immoral decisions. Sometimes are own morals or beliefs might oppose the views of the state or the enforced law that clams to find justice. In this case we rely on our own beliefs that may be through passedRead MoreEssay on The Nature of Socratic Philosophy516 Words   |  3 Pagesfrom the Greek word philosopha,meaning love of wisdom. Although Socrates himself never claimed to have any answers to the questions he raised, his views and methods of philosophy are the cornerstone of what philosophy is today. The nature of philosophy, as viewed by Socrates, is centred around the wellness of the soul, virtue being defined as knowledge and the pursuit of truth through the questioning of beliefs. Socrates heavily subscribed to a dualistic view of the body and the soul.He saw the bodyRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Human Nature1140 Words   |  5 Pagesof the Will The will, in its simplest form, is the ability for one to control one’s own actions. Through the will, the morality of the action is entirely decided by the doer. Augustine professes the will simply permits the doer to do evil. In Socrates’ assertion, free will is contingent on self-control because without it, one can find oneself enslaved to a material thing or desire. Based on reading and prior knowledge, it can be deduced that the only thing that can truly keep one from vice isRead MoreThe Philosophy Of Philosophy And Philosophy1451 Words   |  6 Pagesopenness in philosophy, the uncertainty, there is not just one viewpoint that is completely accepted by all to be true. This leads to many disputes and conversations that are ultimately driven by the core of philosophy, which is its latin translation, the love of wisdom. Now, the wisdom tradition is a major aspect of philosophy. It works by seeking knowledge in order to understand human life, and how life is best lived. There are many intellectual people who have pondered upon the question of, â€Å"What is theRead MoreRhetorical Analysis Of King s King 1558 Words   |  7 Pagesbrilliantly applies rhetorical strategies such as pathos, logos and ethos that are crucial in successfully influencing detractors of his philosophical views on civil disobedience. II. Topic Sentence: King uses logos to object the Clergymen s claim that the peaceful actions taken by the protestors precipitate violence. A. King proves that the Clergymen s assertion about his Civil Right Movements are illogical. King does it by relating their statement to the act of robbery. Read MoreLove Is Characterized By Oedipus The King And Diotima s Definition Of Love1221 Words   |  5 Pagesreasons of Love. Despite having different occupations, they all seem to agree on their views of love except for Socrates. Socrates communicates that Love is a god, and then decides to add that he came to his conclusion with the help of a woman named Diotima. Although their views of love are similar, they are also different and can be seen through another philosopher’s stories; Antigone and Oedipus. Socrates’ definition of love is characterized by Oedipus the King and Diotima’s definition of love is characterizedRead MoreThe Life Of Plato s The Republic1340 Words   |  6 Pagesearly books of Plato’s The Republic, Socrates and his interlocutors Adeimantus, Polemarchus, Glaucon, Thrasymachus, and to a lesser extent Cephalus, explore what it means to be just and why justice is preferable to injustice. This topic was brought up in a monologue from Cephalus, who is an old patriarch that represents Greek tradition and thus offers a traditional view of justice. One by one, all of the interlocutors attempt to define justice, with Socrates disagreeing with at least some part of