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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 3 page paper discusses the flaws in scala amoris by Plato, as stated by James Conlon. Bibliography lists 1 source.
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3 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_MBconlon.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
and given that the emotion was highly subject to volatility, ought to be explored. Given the ideas put forth in the Symposium it can be stated human love plays a
larger part in our development as human beings than we ever knew. However, in the modern era, some of Platos theories do not hold up to the practical application. James
Conlon in his article, "Why Friends Cant be Lovers" offers a counterpoint to the claims of Socrates in Platos Symposium. Platos Symposium tells the tale of a series of speeches
given by three individuals on the topic of love. Several concepts of love are offered by the speechmakers, but only one has the truest definition. Phaedrus is the first to
attempt to define love. He states that love is "the most powerful [god] in helping men gain virtue and blessedness" (180B). The next speaker is Pausanias. He goes beyond the
shallow depiction and begins to offer the idea that love has two sides or dimensions. In turn each speaker that follows leads up to the other speech of note, which
is that of Diotema. The infamous scala amoris, then comes from the ideas that Diotema presents. True love is a matter of ascent, a movement from the physical and the
individual to the spiritual and the universe. According to the scala amoris, then, love is that which in its highest and purest sense is a continued recognition of higher and
higher forms of beauty(Plato 210a-212a). For example, according to the amoris, love begins with the love of one individuals body, encompassing not
only the body, but the mind, then finally, the soul. Physical beauty, then, is the incentive to begin the journey, love is the reward, and in the end there is
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