The Symposium, A Philosophers Guide to Love

As much as our society has become involved in the advancement of feminism and the equality of the sexes, there is one fact that neither gender can ignore; none can survive without the other. Love and the want of a soul mate keeps each member of man and womankind in constant search of the perfect person with whom to become one. Yet if this bond is a necessity of the human race then why has the meaning, purpose and pursuit of it eluded us for so many generations. There has yet to be a one universal explanation of love and there has yet to be one who understands it's powers fully. As we see from Plato's Symposium, even the wisest of men in a time when the search for knowledge was seen as the pathway to enlightenment love was still a concept that was not understood and unknown. Though many of the guidelines and characteristics of love are wise, some may not apply to modern society.

Detail of The School of Athens by Raffaello Sanzio...

English: The School of Athens (detail). Fresco, St...

Portrait of Socrates. Marble, Roman artwork (1st c...

The writing serves as a pamphlet that depicts some of the guidelines of love as the philosophers of Plato's time saw them. The intervention of the God's in the orations of the philosophers can be interpreted to mean the different aspects of love and their effects on people. The text goes into many characteristics about the god or gods that were love , yet for the purpose of this essay, it would seem relevant to stick with the guidelines and ideals that were presented in the speeches given by the men. It seemed as though in each of the lectures given, Plato put a message into each one. Each man brought up valid guidelines for dealing with love and each should be concentrated on.

The speeches started with Phaedrus who began to state many...