Comparing The Theaetetus And The Nature Of Love - 1602 Words

There are many connections between the nature of knowledge in the Theaetetus and the nature of love in the Symposium. The concept of philosophy brings together the nature of knowledge and love. Notably, Diotima calls Love a lover of wisdom which in Greek means literally a philosopher (Benjamin Jowett, trans. Plato, Symposium and Phaedrus 27). Philia means, love and sophia means wisdom. The main topic of Plato’s Symposium is the question â€Å"what is love†. It is a record of six speeches by different academics that all tell a story and use verse to express a lot of varying stories and themes about the nature and function of love (eros). In the Theaetetus, Socrates explores three definitions of what knowledge is and each of these†¦show more content†¦Those who follow Socrates path are not guaranteed the attainment of knowledge. However, they will discover fulfillment in a life-long search of knowledge. Diotima represents the ultimate state of having achieved wisdom. Diotima comes off as divine but not a God and she also feels like an unapproachable figure. This matches the idea of love talked about in her speech in which love is a mediator. Love falls between ignorance and knowledge because â€Å" For his father is wealthy and wise, and his mother is poor and foolish† (Symposium 27). Knowledge fits in as well between ignorance and wis dom. Love is destined to love knowledge, to charge towards knowledge and to likewise be tied up and touched by the movement of and from ignorance (27) Knowledge and love are interconnected. The very last lines of the Symposium are about Socrates putting everyone else to bed who had drunk a lot. Socrates then left and finished the day like it was just a regular night; the alcohol had not affected him (43). This is told to remind the audience that Socrates’ thirst for knowledge is always there and nothing will inhibit his path. Even after a long day of discussion about love he is not tired and is still raring to go. Another thing Diotima explores in her speech is the ladder of love. The ladder of love is a hierarchy of the basic forms of love to the purest forms of love. As you climb