A Study On The Thought Of Eros In Symposiu

Eros is a human can never stop talking about the topic,as long as life continues,the thinking of eros will never end.Among Plato’s dialogues,Symposium has always been the focus of academic attention,which demonstrates the philosopher’s profound insight into the problem of eros.This thesis will take Plato’s classic work as the core,following the great philosophers to embark on the road of thinking about eros.The thesis elaborates from four parts.The first part starts with the social life of eros in ancient Greece.Pederasty is popular in ancient Greek society.It mainly refers to a kind of “erotic relationship” between adult men and adolescent men in the city-state.The city-states of ancient Greece were small,their political and cultural lives were relatively open,and women were excluded from social life.Such a “single sex environment” became the soil for cultivating eros between adult men and adolescent men.The “symposium” is also a men’s party,which inevitably involves male affairs.At this meeting,eros was the subject of discussion.The Athenian elite agreed that there should be a discussion on eros.The second part mainly discusses the different types after the development of“eros topic”.The participants in the meeting delivered erotic tributes in sequence.At the top of the list is Phaedrus,who takes the position of the beloved and subordinates eros to “gain”.The starting point of Pausanias is “virtue”.As a lover,he carries out erotic behavior in the name of improving the beloved’s virtue.Erixymachus represents the perspective of “art” in relation to eros,and he believes that noble eros comes from“art”.Aristophanes points eros to the ancient “nature”.He thinks eros is the potential desire to return to the original nature and wholeness.Agathon regards eros as a kind of civilized power and reveals the civilized characteristics of eros.Each person has a different starting point,representing different types of views on eros,profoundly showing different levels of eros.The third part mainly analyzes the erotic tribute of Plato’s Socrates.Through the prophetess Diotima,Plato’s Socrates reveals the “true face” of eros.Eros is a kind of“intermediacy”existence between resource and poverty.Because of poverty,eros does not possess “beauty” and “good”;Because of the desire for wholeness,eros pursues“beauty” and “good”.Eros is of the good’s being being one’s own always.Therefore,eros is conceived in beauty and climbs the ladder of love to the whole world,finally realizes the immortality of philosophy.Plato discusses eros from the perspective of philosophy and combines eros with philosophy.From the beauty of the body to the beauty of the soul to the beauty of the noble good,Plato presents us with a whole picture of eros.The fourth part focuses on the paideia of eros.This part is centered on the speech of Alcibiades in “Symposium”.From Socrates’ image,virtue,words and soul guidance to Alcibiades,it descends to Socrates’ true paideia of eros.This is the descent of the philosopher as opposed to the ascent of eros,the way of caring for the souls of others and leading them to virtue.The philosopher who returns to the cave illuminates the cave and illuminates us in real life.The great philosopher’s teachings of eros will lead us to constantly examine and reflect on ourselves,and arouse new hopes and pursuits in our life.It leads us to create the meaning of life and inspires us to constantly pursue the whole life.