Plato's Concept of Love

This set of flashcards covers key concepts from Plato's teachings on love as presented in the symposium dialogues.

Desire

A longing for something deeper than physical attraction; it reveals our incomplete nature and desire for unity.

Eros

In Plato's speech, Love is personified as young, flexible, and beautiful, closely tied to beauty and virtue.

Immortality

What humans ultimately seek through love, aiming for permanence via reproduction, creation, and virtue.

Spiritual Pregnancy

The concept of giving birth to virtues, laws, or wisdom, as opposed to physical pregnancy.

Ladder of Love

A metaphor for the journey of love from attraction to individual bodies to the contemplation of absolute Beauty.

True Love

Embodiment of virtue that resists physical temptation and guides others towards wisdom and moral excellence.

Platonic Love

A love that transcends physical attraction and aims for a deeper, spiritual connection.