The Implication Of Eros In Plato's Symposium
Title
The conflict between the Greek notions nomos, law and convention, and physis, nature, affects all mankind. In Plato’s dialogue the Symposium, seven succeeding speeches discuss the implications of Eros. Relative to nomos and physis, the speakers convey that Eros is a product of physis and, along with physis, is a criminal that nomos tries to chain up and limit.
Eros is the result of the physis of humankind. In fact, our nature is the basis for Love’s existence. All humans strive to achieve “goodness” (202d). In order to reach that stage, humans seek for “beauty,” typically in lovers (202c). Through this, human beings can “attain happiness” as Love restores people to their “original nature, healed and blessed with perfect happiness” (193d). …show more content…
In Socrates and Alcibiades’ relationship, Socrates holds the position of the “lover” and refrains from succumbing to the physical desire that Alcibiades feels for Socrates (185c). If he fulfills it, the feeling of longing that keeps Alcibiades by Socrates’ side will dissipate. As a result, he will not be able to reach true goodness since the process, described Socrates’ idea of the ladder of love, requires a foundation of physical desire that then moves onto mental desire of beautiful and “attractive” objects like wisdom …show more content…
However, this opposes the inevitable nature of humans, as there used to be “three human genders:” male, female, and “androgynous” (189d). Thus, while nomos creates the expectation for heterosexual relationships with the socially constructed notion of marriage, many who are “sexually attracted to boys” incline towards their “innate characteristics” despite nomos’ attempted interventions (192b).
Regardless of the sexual orientation, if a pair are truly each other’s “love of [their] lives,” they can reach the ideal state of “goodness” and “recover” their “original nature” (193c, 202c). However, in many cases, a married couple does not love each other at all and are only in their current state to follow societal norms. Due to the lack of “perfect love,” they will never be able to “attain happiness” (180e). Convention hence overrides “their natural inclinations” as nomos places a moral standard on actions whereas the “nature of every action” itself is “neither right nor wrong”
The conflict between the Greek notions nomos, law and convention, and physis, nature, affects all mankind. In Plato’s dialogue the Symposium, seven succeeding speeches discuss the implications of Eros. Relative to nomos and physis, the speakers convey that Eros is a product of physis and, along with physis, is a criminal that nomos tries to chain up and limit.
Eros is the result of the physis of humankind. In fact, our nature is the basis for Love’s existence. All humans strive to achieve “goodness” (202d). In order to reach that stage, humans seek for “beauty,” typically in lovers (202c). Through this, human beings can “attain happiness” as Love restores people to their “original nature, healed and blessed with perfect happiness” (193d). …show more content…
In Socrates and Alcibiades’ relationship, Socrates holds the position of the “lover” and refrains from succumbing to the physical desire that Alcibiades feels for Socrates (185c). If he fulfills it, the feeling of longing that keeps Alcibiades by Socrates’ side will dissipate. As a result, he will not be able to reach true goodness since the process, described Socrates’ idea of the ladder of love, requires a foundation of physical desire that then moves onto mental desire of beautiful and “attractive” objects like wisdom …show more content…
However, this opposes the inevitable nature of humans, as there used to be “three human genders:” male, female, and “androgynous” (189d). Thus, while nomos creates the expectation for heterosexual relationships with the socially constructed notion of marriage, many who are “sexually attracted to boys” incline towards their “innate characteristics” despite nomos’ attempted interventions (192b).
Regardless of the sexual orientation, if a pair are truly each other’s “love of [their] lives,” they can reach the ideal state of “goodness” and “recover” their “original nature” (193c, 202c). However, in many cases, a married couple does not love each other at all and are only in their current state to follow societal norms. Due to the lack of “perfect love,” they will never be able to “attain happiness” (180e). Convention hence overrides “their natural inclinations” as nomos places a moral standard on actions whereas the “nature of every action” itself is “neither right nor wrong”