The Symposium Summary

“Love inspires the greatest deeds and guides us toward ultimate wisdom – but what is its true nature, and how can it shape our lives?”

1. Love is the driving force in human and divine affairs

Phaedrus begins the Symposium by declaring love as the oldest and most powerful of the gods. He explains that it exerts a profound influence on both humans and deities. Through love, people are motivated to perform acts of courage, selflessness, and honor.

Phaedrus uses Greek myths to support his claims, presenting Alcestis who sacrifices her life for her husband, and Achilles who avenges the death of his companion Patroclus despite knowing it will lead to his own demise. These stories, he argues, show how love inspires individuals to transcend their limitations to achieve greatness.

Phaedrus also explores how love regulates moral behavior. He states that lovers naturally strive to act honorably in the eyes of their beloved, avoiding shame and embracing valor. Extending this concept to society, he imagines an army of lovers who would fight without peer, driven by devotion and mutual excellence.

Examples

• Alcestis volunteering to die in place of her husband
• Achilles risking it all to avenge Patroclus
• The idea of armies strengthened by love and loyalty between soldiers

2. The dual nature of love

Pausanias introduces the concept of two distinct forms of love: "common love" tied to physical attraction, and "heavenly love," which fosters intellectual and spiritual growth. He links these to two manifestations of the goddess Aphrodite.

According to Pausanias, common love is accessible to everyone but is rooted in base desires, such as the attraction to physical beauty. This type of love is fleeting and fails to nurture personal growth. In contrast, heavenly love transcends physical desire and forms deep intellectual and emotional connections. It seeks to elevate individuals, guiding them toward greater personal and collective achievements.

Pausanias suggests that heavenly love can serve the greater good by motivating lovers to help each other grow in virtue and understanding. However, his views reflect the values of ancient Athens, including elitist notions that such love is reserved for the educated or socially privileged.

Examples

• The distinction between Aphrodite Pandemos (common love) and Aphrodite Ourania (heavenly love)
• Common love focusing on appearances and fleeting desires
• Heavenly love fostering mutual growth and a higher purpose

3. The human longing for wholeness

Aristophanes uses humor and myth to address human nature and relationships. He paints an imaginative picture of love by telling a story in which humans were once spherical beings, split in half by Zeus as punishment for their ambition.

These divided beings are fated to wander the world searching for their other halves. This longing for reunion, Aristophanes asserts, is the origin of love. It’s not merely a pursuit of pleasure but an ache for completeness that drives human behavior and relationships.

Aristophanes's tale is endearing yet profound. He suggests that the search for love is an innate part of being human. When people find their "other half," they experience a sense of unity and fulfillment. This unique story prompts reflection on the nature of human connections and the pursuit of true partnership.

Examples

• Spherical humans split by Zeus as a punishment
• The lifelong search for one’s other half
• Love as a symbol of human incompleteness and the quest for unity

4. Love as a ladder toward higher beauty

Socrates shifts the focus of the dialogue by presenting a philosophical vision of love. Relying on lessons from the priestess Diotima, he describes love as a pathway—a "ladder"—that leads to the ultimate understanding of beauty and wisdom.

This ascent begins with an appreciation of physical beauty in a single body, gradually expanding to include all physical beauty, followed by admiration for the beauty of minds, and finally the beauty of knowledge and eternal forms. Ultimately, love inspires individuals to seek the pure, unchanging essence of beauty.

For Socrates, love is not merely a personal or physical endeavor. It is an educational force. It teaches humans to transcend base instincts and aim for something greater, achieving enlightenment and a deeper understanding of the world.

Examples

• The "ladder of love" beginning with attraction to physical beauty
• The gradual focus on the beauty of minds and ideas
• The ultimate pursuit of eternal and unchanging beauty

5. Love as a force for creativity

Socrates introduces another profound idea: love inspires creativity. According to Diotima, those who are in love strive to "give birth" to something enduring, whether it’s children, ideas, or contributions to art and society.

This creative impulse stems from love’s desire for immortality. Lovers instinctively want to create something that will outlast them, whether it’s leaving a legacy through offspring or producing lasting works of art or innovation.

This idea highlights love’s role not just in personal relationships but in driving human achievements. The desire to be remembered and to have a meaningful impact links love with creativity and productivity.

Examples

• Couples creating families to "live on" through their children
• Artists inspired by love to produce timeless pieces
• Philosophers and thinkers driven by love to develop new ideas

6. Love challenges societal expectations

Many speeches in the Symposium confront and question societal norms about love, relationships, and morality. Phaedrus revises traditional myths, while Pausanias critiques the biases inherent in physical love versus intellectual connections.

These challenges reflect a broader dialogue about love’s influence on society. For example, Aristophanes’s myth suggests that our yearning for connection transcends gender boundaries, subtly confronting contemporary ideas about relationships.

By examining love through various lenses and questioning accepted norms, the speakers highlight its adaptability. Love is shaped not just by personal behavior but also by broader cultural and societal forces.

Examples

• Phaedrus reinterpreting Achilles and Patroclus’s bond
• Pausanias’s critiques of superficial physical love
• Aristophanes celebrating diverse connections in his myth

7. The intersection of love and morality

Through the speeches, love emerges as a guide to moral behavior. Phaedrus discusses how love inspires bravery and honor, while Pausanias links heavenly love with the cultivation of virtue.

These ideas reveal how love impacts ethics. Lovers often align their actions with their aspirations for their partners, which pushes them to behave better. Moreover, love’s role as a moral compass extends beyond personal relationships to societal systems, as the pursuit of love encourages collective growth.

By exploring these themes, Plato invites readers to consider how love drives self-improvement and ethical actions.

Examples

• Phaedrus’s theory that love deters shameful acts
• Lovers striving to earn each other’s respect
• Socrates viewing love as a means of moral and intellectual elevation

8. Love transcends physicality

A recurring theme in the Symposium is that love isn’t limited to physical attraction. Socrates, in particular, positions love as a higher pursuit involving the mind, soul, and wisdom.

This perspective helps dismantle the misconception that love is solely about appearances or desires. Instead, it emphasizes the role of intellectual and emotional connections. These, in turn, bring purpose and depth to relationships.

Acknowledging love’s non-physical dimensions helps broaden our understanding of its true essence and potential.

Examples

• Socrates’s focus on spiritual and intellectual connection
• Pausanias’s concept of heavenly love
• Aristophanes’s idea that love fulfills a soul-deep yearning

9. Love as a quest for immortality

Socrates’s vision of love includes a quest for immortality—not through defying death, but through creating and appreciating timeless beauty and knowledge.

This immortal dimension of love drives people to seek what endures through time. Whether through relationships, achievements, or wisdom, love urges individuals to leave a lasting, positive imprint on the world.

This eternal aspect elevates love beyond the confines of daily life, giving it a universal and transformative role.

Examples

• Socrates’s eternal beauty as the ultimate pursuit
• Love inspiring artists and thinkers to create for posterity
• The connection between legacy and love’s creative power

Takeaways

1. Reflect on how love influences your personal growth and actions. Are your relationships uplifting and purposeful?
2. Strive to nurture relationships based on both emotional and intellectual connections, rather than just physical attraction.
3. Recognize love as a force that transcends individual desires, shaping not just lives but also society and culture.