Plato on love and desire

Introduction to Plato on Love and Desire

Welcome to one of the most fascinating parts of the Love and Relationships module! When we think of "Platonic love" today, we usually mean just being friends. But for the ancient Greek philosopher Plato, love was much more intense, complicated, and exciting than that. For Plato, love wasn't just a feeling; it was a journey that could lead a person to discover the very meaning of truth and beauty.

In this chapter, we will explore Plato’s ideas on what love is, how it affects our bodies and minds, and why he thought some types of relationships were "better" than others. Don’t worry if some of his ideas seem a bit "out there" at first—we will break them down step-by-step!

Note: This chapter focuses on Plato’s philosophical thought. For a different perspective from a Roman philosopher, see the chapter on Seneca on love and desire.

1. Definitions of Love (Eros)

For Plato, the word for love was eros. While we get the word "erotic" from this, for Plato, eros was a massive, powerful force of desire. It wasn't just about wanting to be with someone; it was a deep lack or hunger for something you don't have.

Plato defined love in a few key ways:

• Love as a Desire for Beauty: Plato believed that when we fall in love with a person’s looks, what we are actually doing is responding to the Idea of Beauty itself.
• Love as a Lack: You only "love" or "desire" what you do not currently possess. Therefore, Love is always searching for something to complete itself.
• The Purpose of Love: For Plato, the ultimate goal of love is "procreation in beauty." This doesn't just mean having babies; it can also mean "birthing" great ideas, poems, or laws.

Quick Review: To Plato, eros is a powerful energy that drives us to seek out beauty because we feel like something is missing in ourselves.

2. Physical Symptoms of Desire

Have you ever felt "lovesick"? Plato certainly thought you could! He described desire as a kind of "divine madness." It isn't a rational choice; it’s something that takes over your whole being.

According to Plato, when a person experiences intense desire, they might experience:

• Physical Shaking and Heat: Just looking at the beloved can cause a person to sweat or feel a sudden fever.
• The "Growing of Wings": Plato used a famous analogy that the soul has wings. When we see someone beautiful, the "feathers" of our soul start to itch and grow, which can be painful and overwhelming.
• Loss of Sleep and Appetite: The person becomes so focused on their beloved that they forget to eat or sleep.
• Irrational Behaviour: A person in the grip of eros might neglect their friends, family, and duties just to be near the person they desire.

Did you know? Plato viewed these symptoms as a sign that the soul is remembering the "perfect world" of ideas it saw before we were born. Beauty on earth reminds the soul of divine beauty!

3. Love versus Desire: The Hierarchy

This is a crucial distinction for your exam. Plato didn't think all love was equal. He saw a major difference between physical desire and intellectual love.

Physical Desire (The "Lower" Path): This is desire for the body. It is temporary and often selfish. If you only love someone for their looks, your love will fade when their looks do. Plato was quite critical of people who were only interested in sex, as he felt they were "stuck" at the bottom level of what love could be.

Intellectual Love (The "Higher" Path): This is love for the soul and for wisdom. When two people love each other's minds, they help each other become better, more virtuous people. This type of love is permanent and leads to "higher" truths.

Key Takeaway: Imagine a ladder. At the bottom is love for one beautiful body. As you climb, you love all beautiful bodies, then beautiful souls, then beautiful laws, and finally, Beauty itself. This is often called the "Ladder of Love."

4. Controlling and Resisting Desire

Plato believed that humans are constantly in a battle with themselves. He used a famous analogy to explain how we should control our desires:

The Charioteer Analogy: Imagine a chariot pulled by two horses:
1. The White Horse: Represents our spirit, honour, and "good" impulses. It wants to go upward toward the truth.
2. The Black Horse: Represents our basic appetites and physical desires. It is wild and wants to pull the chariot down toward earthly pleasures (like sex and food).
3. The Charioteer: Represents Reason. It is the Charioteer's job to control both horses, especially the wild black horse, to keep the soul on the right track.

How to resist: Plato argued that we must use our reason to tame our physical lust. If we let the "black horse" (physical desire) take over, we become slaves to our bodies. If we control it, we can use that energy to fuel our search for wisdom.

5. Homoerotic Relationships

To understand Plato, you have to understand the social context of 5th-century BC Athens. Homoerotic relationships (relationships between men) were a standard part of upper-class social life.

Typically, these involved:

• The Erastes: The "Lover"—an older, established man.
• The Eromenos: The "Beloved"—a younger man or teenager.

Plato’s View: Plato had a very specific take on this. He believed the best version of this relationship was educational. The older man should act as a mentor, teaching the younger man virtue and philosophy. In return, the younger man’s physical beauty inspires the older man to think about higher things.

Common Mistake to Avoid: Students often think Plato hated physical sex. It’s more accurate to say he thought that stopping at sex was a waste of potential. He believed that if the erastes and eromenos could resist physical temptation and focus on talking and learning, their bond would be much more powerful.

Chapter Summary: Key Points for Revision

• Definition: Love (eros) is a powerful, driving desire for beauty and a way to "birth" ideas.
• Symptoms: It is a "divine madness" involving physical heat, sweating, and the soul "growing wings."
• Control: Use the Charioteer analogy—Reason must control our wild physical appetites.
• The Ladder: Move from loving a body to loving the soul, and finally to loving the "Form of Beauty."
• Relationships: Male-male mentorships (erastes/eromenos) were seen as the ideal setting for this intellectual growth.

Exam Tip: When writing about Plato, use terms like "divine madness" and "ascent" (climbing up). Contrast his focus on the soul with the more physical or "romantic" descriptions you might find in Sappho or Ovid.