Discussion Question 1 - Essay Example

Discussion Questions Aristophanes describes love as a search of what someone lacks. From a vaguest perspective, Aristophanes description is accurate as people often passionately search for things or feelings that they are deficient of. Obtaining love creates a feeling of contentment and self-assuredness for those searching for it. If I were in the party, I would define love as a resilient predilection and zeal for someone or something. My definition is largely shaped by the contemporary social definitions of the term and the overall understanding as well as the interpretation of what love is.

The three versions of love described in Plato’s Symposium differ significantly. Phaedrus’ version of love is centered on gods whereas Phaedrus and Aristophanes’ versions overly exemplify the doing of good for men and women. However, all versions contain an element of emotional feelings/attachment or admiration which ostensibly appears to have somewhat informed the contemporary definition of love. Phaedrus asserts “Love will make men dare to die for their beloved-love alone; and women as well as men” (Benjamin N.p). His definition of love is more centered on romance hence more supportive of my contemporary understanding of love.

Love is often a contentious matter that touches on several aspects of life and thus attracts the attention of philosophers. The speakers in Symposium suggest that love is worth discussing probably to segregate it from lust and infatuation. Love lingers in the memories of many and the philosophers’ efforts to derive an ostensible, single definition of love fails due to the differences in social settings and upbringing. Individuals grow in different social settings that hugely impacts and influences their interpretation and understanding of love.

The imprecision of love is thus attributable to the differences in social settings.Works CitedBenjamin Jowett. "The Internet Classics Archive | Symposium by Plato." The Internet Classics Archive: 441 Searchable Works of Classical Literature. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 May 2015. .