plato love + desire Flashcards
Which character does Plato use in Phaedrus?
Socrates
What idea does Plato, through the character Socrates offer in Phaedrus?
The idea that sexual desire urges the soul to grow wings + take flight
What does Plato compare desire to?
Fire
What does Goldhill say about self control?
Proper love is about self control
What does Plato say about the difference between friendship, love + desire?
Friendship is affection for someone w whom we have smth in common
Desire is specifically physical
Love is the ‘intense’ feeling for friendship
What does Goldhill say about sexual love?
Sexual love exposes human fragility
What does Plato stress the importance of controlling? Where does he say this?
In the republic, moderation of food + desire
What does Plato compare immoderate love to? Where?
In the Republic, immoderate love is behaviour of the extreme tyrant
What are desires compared to in Phaedo?
Desires are compared to nails hammered into the soul
What does Alcibiades compare Socrates’ restraint to in the Symposium?
Endurance on military campaign
What does Plato state concerns of in Laws?
If society was relaxed where men + women could spend time together, there would need to be more surveillance of them to stop them from fulfilling desire
Where is the horse + chariot analogy shown?
Phaedrus
What is said about the horse + chariot analogy?
Socrates says the black horse reps instinctive desire + the white horse is moderation
A charioteer has the job of searing the 2 horses who naturally oppose each other
What does Plato say about homoerotic relationships in Laws?
Unnatural - the practice originally arose bc of the failure to control desire
Who say sexual love exposes human fragility?
Goldhill
What does Aristophanes say about sex in the Symposium?
The symposium is important for procreation but allows people to relax
Why does Plato say desire should be controlled in the Republic?
It’s in everybody’s best interest to be moderate + self controlled
What does Plato compare immoderate love to? Where is this?
In the Republic; immoderate love is behaviour of an extreme tyrant
What does Plato say about dreaming in the Republic?
Everyone experiences desires in their dreams, but our rational self can control these desires when we wake
What did Socrates say in Phaedo?
Socrates’ last words were that the true philosopher can rise above desires + use reason to make choices
What does Eryximachus say in the Symposium about desire?
‘Moderate love’ is healthy
‘The brutal love’ is sick
How does Diotima refer to desire?
A creative search for immortality
What concern was expressed in Laws?
If society wasn’t so prude-ish in how much time men + women spent tog, more surveillance would be needed to stop them having sex
Who in the symposium suggests that pederastic relationships could benefit the state?
Pausanias, Eryximachus, Phaedrus + Alcibiades
What does Diotima say to Socrates about homoerotic relationships?
They can produce ideas + virtue
This bond is stronger than the bond which produces children
What does Plato seem to think about homoerotic relationships?
You should be careful when picking a partner to enter a homoerotic relationship
What does Plato cover in Lysis?
The differences between friendship + love between men; thinks about which should come first
What does Plato suggest in Phaedrus?
Plato suggests that friendship should be before a relationship
What does Plato discuss in Laws?
Legalisation against homoerotic relationships + prostitution
How does Plato describe homoerotic relationships in Laws?
Homoerotic relationships are unnatural; homoerotic practices originally arose bc of the failure to control desire
What does the Symposium say homoerotic relationships encourage?
Encourages each partner to behave in an admiral way in front of each other
What was the ascent that Diotima described?
Philosophers develop their thinking about love until they were able to identify what true beauty in life is.
+ involved moderation of desire
What does Plato say about animals?
The offspring animals create through eros are physical + therefore lesser, not immortal
Philosophers create immortal offspring in the form of ideas through pederastic relationships
What is Plato’s pederasty about?
Sharing philosophical ideas, ‘giving birth’ is smth done through the mind to bring forth ideas
What is said in Plato’s Lysis that suggests selfishness?
Socrates tells Lysis that ppl will only love him if he’s useful to them (contrasts to Seneca’s selfless views)
