Thesis (Ph. D.)--Marburg, 1910.

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My examination of Plato’s valuation of eros in the Symposium and Phaedrus dialogues in its manifold elements in general has resulted in a more concrete definition of eros as a relational entity. The transition of an initially natural cosmic force in archaic times into a more valid ethical quality so as to encourage betterment in human relations is evident in Plato’s philosophy. The terms ‘Platonic love’ and ‘eros’ are misinterpreted and my thesis purports to prove that Plato’s eros is a spiritual quest for beauty (kalos), truth (alethes) and the good (agathos). Modern scholastic commentaries were referred to and proved helpful in assessing the differences in ancient and current ethical schools of thought. The argument purports that Platonic eros is not a static condition of soul but a continuous movement/progress towards the highest spiritual love. / Ancient Languages and Cultures / M.A. (Ancient Languages and Cultures)

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The purpose of the current study is to present an interpretation of Eros and its demonical aspect as it is described in Plato’s dialogues Phaedrus and The Symposium as well as to attempt to throw some light over the question in which way the erotic as such influences Plato’s notion of how to pursue philosophy. In the first part of the essay an account is given of the Platonic Eros as a unifying element and as striving for being. I defend the position that in the context of the interpreted dialogues philosophy is thought of as an erotic enterprise which takes place as a coming closer to the object of love. This coming closer takes place as remembering in Phaedrus and as creating in beauty in The Symposium. Further I suggest that the creative activity in which the philosophical lover is involved lets a certain demonic time arise. In the second part of the study I change perspective and look at the erotic desire as a twofold process. In order to clarify the underlying dynamics in this process I introduce the concept of demonic appeal. The erotic desire takes place according to this twofold structure as a demonic appeal on the side of the beloved which gives rise to an erotic striving on the side of the lover. The lover is pulled towards the beloved which is perceived by the lover as something demonic, as the effect of a foreign commanding power over him. What pulls the lover towards itself is the beautiful and I argue that the beautiful is the way in which being appears to the philosophic lover. In the last part of this section I discuss the consequences of this way of appearing of being for Plato’s thinking. In the third and last part of this study I focus on mindfulness of one’s erotic desires as the necessary condition for initiation of philosophic life. I maintain that the purpose of mindfulness according to the dialogues is the attainment of freedom and a reflective stance in respect to one’s desires.

My examination of Plato’s valuation of eros in the Symposium and Phaedrus dialogues in its manifold elements in general has resulted in a more concrete definition of eros as a relational entity. The transition of an initially natural cosmic force in archaic times into a more valid ethical quality so as to encourage betterment in human relations is evident in Plato’s philosophy. The terms ‘Platonic love’ and ‘eros’ are misinterpreted and my thesis purports to prove that Plato’s eros is a spiritual quest for beauty (kalos), truth (alethes) and the good (agathos). Modern scholastic commentaries were referred to and proved helpful in assessing the differences in ancient and current ethical schools of thought. The argument purports that Platonic eros is not a static condition of soul but a continuous movement/progress towards the highest spiritual love. / Ancient Languages and Cultures / M.A. (Ancient Languages and Cultures)

In Plato's Phaedrus, the conflict between the rational and non-rational parts of the soul plays a central role. While the best life, according to Plato, is the rational pursuit of philosophical contemplation, the soul can nevertheless not rid itself from its non-rational parts. In the Phaedrus, Plato presents this tension by likening the soul to a winged chariot with a charioteer and two horses. In this essay, I lean on the account of the soul in the Republic to argue that a solution to the conflict can be found by taking the wings of the chariot to symbolise inner harmony. In this way, I show that the non-rational parts of the soul are not a hindrance to the rational pursuit of philosophy, but, in fact, necessary for it.

Thesis advisor: Christopher Bruell / It is only in "erotic matters" that Plato's Socrates is wise, or so he claims at least on several occasions, and since his Socrates makes this claim, it is necessary for Plato's readers to investigate the content of Socrates' wisdom about eros. This dissertation undertakes such an investigation. Plato does not, however, make Socrates' view of eros easy to grasp. So diverse are Socrates' treatments of eros in different dialogues and even within the same dialogue that doubt may arise as to whether he has a consistent view of eros; Socrates subjects eros to relentless criticism throughout the Republic and his first speech in the Phaedrus, and then offers eros his highest praise in his second speech in the Phaedrus and a somewhat lesser praise in the Symposium. This dissertation takes the question of why Socrates treats eros in such divergent ways as its guiding thread and offers an account of the ambiguity in eros' character that renders it both blameworthy and praiseworthy in Socrates' estimation. The investigation is primarily of eros in its ordinary sense of romantic love for another human being, for Socrates' most extensive discussions of eros, those of the Phaedrus and Symposium, are primarily about romantic love. Furthermore, as this investigation makes clear, despite his references to other kinds of eros, Socrates distinguishes a precise meaning of eros, according to which eros is always love of another human being. Socrates' view of romantic love is then assessed through studies of the Republic, Phaedrus, and Symposium. These studies present a unified Socratic understanding of eros; despite their apparent differences, Socrates' treatment of eros in each dialogue confirms and supplements that of the others, each providing further insight into Socrates' complete view. In the Republic, Socrates' opposition to eros, as displayed in both his discussion of the communism of the family in book five and his account of the tyrannic soul in book nine, is traced to irrational religious beliefs to which he suggests eros is connected. Socrates then explains this connection by presenting romantic love as a source of such beliefs in the Phaedrus and Symposium. Because eros is such a source, this dissertation argues that philosophy is incompatible with eros in its precise sense, as Socrates subtly indicates even within his laudatory treatments of eros in the Phaedrus and Symposium. Thus, as a source of irrational beliefs, eros is blameworthy. Yet eros is also praiseworthy. Despite his indication that the philosopher would be free of eros in the precise sense, Socrates also argues that the experience of eros can be of great benefit in the education of a potential philosopher. Precisely as a source of irrational religious belief, the erotic experience includes a greater awareness of the longing for immortality and hence the concern with mortality that Socrates believes is characteristic of human beings, and by bringing lovers to a greater awareness of this concern, eros provides a first step towards the self-knowledge characteristic of the philosophic life. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2010. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Political Science.

FURTADO, Francisca Andréa Brito. O amor paradoxal nos discursos pronunciados no fedro platônico: uma possível articulação entre Eros, Manía e Sophrosýne. 2016. 99f. Dissertação (Mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Ceará, Instituto de Cultura e Arte, Pós-Graduação em Filosofia, Fortaleza (CE), 2016. / Submitted by sebastiao barroso (jrwizard2209@hotmail.com) on 2017-09-14T16:06:29Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2017_dis_fabfurtado.pdf: 998366 bytes, checksum: 44cab1a1d588bbcd0d0b0aa42b41f8e3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-09-15T13:13:26Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2017_dis_fabfurtado.pdf: 998366 bytes, checksum: 44cab1a1d588bbcd0d0b0aa42b41f8e3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-09-15T13:13:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2017_dis_fabfurtado.pdf: 998366 bytes, checksum: 44cab1a1d588bbcd0d0b0aa42b41f8e3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017 / The scope of our research is the investigation of the issue of Eros in Phaedrus by Plato. Our central questions concerns about the possibility of articulation among eros, manía and sophrosýne in the context of the discourses uttered in that dialogue. The discussion about the place of eros in the platonic thought is a fundamental issue to the comprehension of the Athenian’s oeuvre. Despite it has been very reviewed for several commentators, this issue keeps alive and, for us, it is showed as one of the possibilites of betting in a reading of complemetarity between platonic texts. The platonic ouevre is represented in our understanding as an exercise of thought in which the invitation to become devoted to this exercise is thrown to the reader, dialogue after dialogue. In this purpose , it is proposed multiple themes (love, justice, rhetoric, knowledge, among other not less important), a method, namely, the dialetic and a guiding project which is the dedication to the comprehension of the unchangeable, once it is impossible to the thinker that we know what is changeable for its obvious irregularity. Our path will visit the three discourses present in Phaedrus, from the elements of contente, form and dramatization of each of them, reflexions on the comprehension of the platonic eros, manía and sophrosýne. / O escopo de nossa pesquisa é a investigação da questão do eros no Fedro de Platão. Nossa pergunta central diz respeito à possibilidade de articulação entre eros, manía e sophrosýne no contexto dos discursos realizados no diálogo em questão. A discussão acerca do lugar de eros no pensamento platônico é uma questão fundamental para compreensão da obra do Ateniense. Apesar de bastante revisada por diversos comentadores, esta questão permanece viva e, para nós, apresenta-se como uma das possibilidades de se apostar numa leitura de complementaridade entre os textos platônicos. A obra platônica afigura-se em nosso entendimento como um exercício de pensamento na qual o convite para que nos dediquemos a esse exercício é feito ao leitor, diálogo após diálogo. Nesse intento são propostos temas múltiplos (amor, justiça, retórica, conhecimento, entre outros não menos importantes), um método, a saber, a dialética e um projeto norteador que é dedicar-se à compreensão do imutável, posto ser impossível para o pensador que conheçamos aquilo que é mutável por sua óbvia irregularidade. Nosso caminho visitará os três discursos presentes no Fedro e realizará, a partir dos elementos de conteúdo, forma e dramaticidade de cada um deles, reflexões acerca da compreensão platônica de eros, manía e sophrosýne.

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