Platonic Eros:
Questing For Love Of The Beautiful
Platonic Eros flourishes as a prize of the
magnificent, splendid life. This idea of
Eros as presented in this essay dates to ancient classical Greece and the philosopher,
Plato. I define Platonic Eros as the quest for the love of the beautiful. Its
two key components are love and the beautiful.
Platonic Eros seeks the love of the beautiful in a significant other. The object
may be another person, or a work of art, or the human race, or Divinity, or
the ideal of the beautiful. Plato recognizes Eros as a natural impulse that
may be harmful if it is an out of control as a violent emotion or "unruly
horse" of the soul. It needs to be tempered by reason (Dillon).
The characteristics of Platonic Eros.: First, Eros yearns for perpetual occurrences
of the beautiful People strive not for the temporary, but permanent beauty.
The beautiful is the supreme end of Eros. Second, Eros is also a desire for
immortality and eternity. Eros takes one into the heart of Divinity. Third,
Plato believed that Eros ascends through stages. The lowest is falling in love
with another person. Both partners appreciate the beauty in the other. Next,
one realizes the beauty of the soul is more valuable than the beauty of the
body. The third stage is appreciating the beauty of institutions, morality,
and noble activities. The fourth stage is acquiring knowledge of beauty. One
transcends particulars and contemplates the ideas and sentiments of beauty.
The highest is being absorbed into the archetype of beauty. A person in meditation
flows into the ocean of the beautiful and is filled with bliss (Amor).
The dynamic of interaction of Eros is pictured in this diagram.
The lover in Platonic Eros demonstrates moderation and self -
control and is concerned with the beloved's material welfare and spiritual development.
The beloved, in turn, reacts with affection and gratitude. Love brings forth
noble sentiments and great satisfaction in the partners (Dillon).The important
point is that all cases of Eros produce through love the unity of lover and
beloved.
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy explains the nature of
Platonic Eros. The individual human lovers who live Eros partake the transcendental
beauty of the forms. The desire for beauty is expressed in shared values and
activities in the companionship of another. Physical desire for love is a lower
desire of the animal kingdom. The quest for the higher love of Eros is produced
by the rational discourse and exploring the Ideal of Beautiful. On earth people
can stimulate its image through contemplation and meditation ("Philosophy").
The Beautiful is the aim of Platonic Eros. In this physical life beauty is expressed in the relationship between a human lover and the beloved, creating and appreciating artistic works , and the profound connection of the teacher of philosophy and the student, People who are successful with Eros in earthly life talk about wonderful, fantastic experiences, gratefulness, and aesthetic delight. Eros in its higher expressions: meets beings of the transcendental realm such as an angel or a god such as Krishna and Shiva, experiences a wonderful, glorious relationship with the Absolute or Brahman, and knows the Beautiful as an ideal or Platonic Form. Beauty has two parts: the objective which is the intrinsic excellence of the significant other, and the subjective which involves the emotions of pleasure and joy and the intense desire for the other (Adler 1059). In Platonic Eros the lover and the beloved work diligently to create a wonderful and splendid relationship. Its appreciation communicates a feeling of gratitude for the relationship, praises the excellent qualities of the other, and admires the value and beauty of the relationship.
Human intimate relationships of excellence exude the beauty and magnificence
of Platonic Eros. The relationship may be between a boyfriend and girlfriend,
husband and wife, gay men, or lesbian women. Mortimer Adler explains the physical
of Eros as "intense body passion, persistent emotional drives, powerful
often disturbing desires, and a mixture of sensual pleasures and pains."
The relationship is ruled by the benevolent impulse, in which the lover is concerned
with the good and benefit of the beloved" (Adler 220). Both are filled
with wonderful feelings of tenderness, joy, sensitivity, and appreciation. They
are playmates, friends, and companions. Sweet sex surmounts separation and creates
unity. Each partner expresses gratitude, compassion and admiration. Love and
beauty ennoble the lover and beloved. (Solomon 494). The partners manifest what
Paunius in the Symposium calls "heavenly love:"one loves the other's
soul, virtue, personality, and inner beauty" ("Friendship,").
The artist requires Eros to create magnificent works of art. Thomas Mann, the
German novelist, stated, "For I must tell you that we artists cannot tread
the path of Beauty without Eros keeping company with us and appointing himself
as our guide" (The Columbia World of Quotations ). The artist seeks to
create beauty in his art and to participate in the archetype of the beautiful.
The audience is excited with passions of the heart, feels beauty in their spirit,
expresses appreciation, and achieves union with the superb creation.
The teacher of philosophy seeks Eros with his/her student. The teacher exemplifies
beauty of understanding philosophy and love of wisdom. He/she seeks to make
the student pregnant with truth, virtue, goodness, love and beauty.
Eros is also a Platonic Form, archetype, or ideal. The seeker of Eros looks
for its essence through discussion, contemplation, and meditation. He/she seeks
the Form of Eros as a transcendent beyond space and time, as purity and clarity,
a perfect model, and as an ultimately real entity. The archetype of Eros manifests
as admiration, awe, and reverence. (Ackerman, Lecture Notes. 14 Sept. 2005 ).
. Dr. Kealey, a Professor of Philosophy, explained "Spiritual Eros"
as union with all life and the mysticism of unity with God, the Absolute, or
Brahman. "Spiritual Eros" is achieved through meditation. This most
basic unity brings about the greatest satisfaction, joy, and bliss. (Kealey.
"Lectue Notes" 16 Sept. 2006)
These challenges and difficulties may be encountered in seeking Eros:
The first is the erotica trap. People caught in this trap experience love as
lust: an intense and uncontrolled sexual desire and excessive craving for the
delights of sex. It may manifest as too much pornography, bestiality, and wild
sex. People are so stuck in sensuality and lust that they lack the desire for
"Spiritual Eros."
The second is the shadow trap. The negative aspect of the shadow expresses the unconscious and subconscious. It may project hatred for the beloved or despise the other person. A woman in her animus may feel anger toward men, because in early childhood the father expressed anger toward men. She may desire Eros in her conscious mind, but is trapped in the dark side of the shadow.
The third is the immature adult trap. The individual lacks the growth and development
of the mature adult. Some of the characteristics are fears of intimate relation
such as abandonment, trouble with commitments, and has no boundaries, are aggressive
and cruel. They are victims of lust, because act from blind and tyrannical sexual
appetites. These characteristics prevent expressing Eros in relations with the
beloved.
I have created personal practices to understand Eros: I look for a beloved lady
who also quests for Eros. I seek to discover Eros through discussion, contemplation,
and mystical union. I seek to commune and unify with heavenly beings such as
the Archangels and Brahman.
Eros is important to the splendid life. Eros radiates as joy and bliss in a
person's living. A lover and beloved deeply connect in body, mind, heart, and
soul. A person reaches for the heights of eternity and essences of the transcendental
realms. One seeks to quiet the mind to experience for the purpose of knowing
the Platonic Forms of Eros, love, and the beautiful.
On the last journey of a meditative workshop weekend to McCloud Waterfall I
wrote this poem.
Eros At McCloud Waterfall
Water rushes down the McCloud Waterfall
Visions of Eros fill my soul
Beauty of heaven shines in my awareness
Love connects to Divine Essence
Divine radiance sings its song of ecstasy
God hums its Presence as actualization
Melody of creation fills the air
Hymn of appreciation shines as sparkling beauty
Love so tender.
Attraction so wonderful
Devotion so majestic
Affection so magical
Oh! I experience heavenly Eros of Divine Presence
Joy! Bliss! Ultimate Splendor!
Works Cited
Ackerman, Sherry. "Lecture Notes". College of the Siskiyous. Weed, CA, 14 Sept 2005.
Adler, Mortimer and Van Doren, Charles, ed. Great Treasury Of Western Thought.
New York: R.R. Bowker, 1977.
Amir, Lydia. "Plato's Theory Of Love: Rationality as Passion." Practical
Philosophy. 07 Jan 2005. 29 Sept. 2005. http://www.practical-philosophy.org.uk/Volume4Articles/PlatoTheoryOfLove.htm
Dillon, John. "The Platonic Sage In Love." Studia Humaniora Tartuensia.4B.3.
2003. http:ut.ee/klassik/sht/2003dillon1.pdf
"Friendship, Eros and Beauty in Ancient Philosophy". Dublin City
University. 13 Sept. 2005. <http://www.ucd.ie/philosop/documents/WD%20Lecture%202.htm>
Kealey, D. Alexander. "Lecture Notes". College of the Siskiyous Weed,
CA. 16 Sept. 2005.
Mann, Thomas. "Quotation." The Columbia World of Quotations. 1995.
13 Sept. 2005. <http://www.bartley.com/66/60/37760.html
Mosley, Alexander. "Philosophy of Love." The Internet Encyclopedia
of Philosophy. 2005. 13 Sept. 2005. http://www.utm.edu/research/iep/1/love.htm.
Solomon, Robert. "The Virtue of (Erotic) Love." The Philosophy of
(Erotic) Love. Ed.:Robert Solomon & Kathleen Higgins.Lawrence: University
Press of Kansas, 1991. 492 - 517.
Understanding the Nature of Classical Eros
This essay is an experiment in understanding the nature of classical Eros. The student plays the role of the lover of Eros and creates the ideas for discussion; the teacher responds to the ideas and plays the role of the sage of Eros. The form is a dialogue between the two.
Introduction
Student: Let us discuss the nature of classical Eros: It's primary principle
and important characteristics, and one's personal vision of Eros
Teacher: Remember, dear student, that we take our knowledge of Eros,
the Son of Aphrodite. Recall that, when prompted to consciousness by Psyche,
he faltered. This is the path of eros and it is not without some stumbling blocks.
Don't fail, dear Student, to see the totality of the projection..
The primary principle is the beautiful
Student: It is my belief that the essential principle of classical Eros is the beautiful. Beauty in love is a noble experience and achievement and is found in the thinking, feelings, and desires of one's inner consciousness. The lover performs beautiful deeds for the beloved. Beauty arouses these emotions: aesthetic pleasure, joy, and satisfaction. Both the lover and beloved seek to please each other. Because of strong attraction and wonderful passions, human intimate relations of husband-wife, boyfriend-girlfriend, gays and lesbian lovers desire to express this beauty in sexuality. The mystery of beauty is veiled in the incomprehensible, incommunicable, and desire for excellence. Santayana, the American philosopher, declared, "Beauty, as we feel it is indescribable; what it is or means can never be sai." (Rosenberg 405). Both partners experience unity, harmony, and excellence
The two parts of beauty are the subjective and objective. The objective is the
object of the external world that is presented to the awareness of the consciousness
of the lover. For the lover the object is the beloved such as another person,
humanity, an important activity, mystical experience of Divinity, or the form/ideal
of beauty. The subjective refers to the self and mind that interprets the beloved.
The lover evaluates the other based on his/her beliefs, knowledge, experiences
and feeling. In Eros the lover seeks to know the beauty or ugliness of the other
person's body, mind, soul, and actions, If the lover concludes beauty is present,
he/she experiences appreciation and joy, may express beauty with the physical
body through sex, and develop the aesthetic of the mind, heart, and soul for
the self and the other (Angeles 173).
Plato and the neo-Platonists beliefs about beauty are the following. Beauty
is an ideal/form that expresses an active force and spiritual power. One's soul
strives for understanding and possession of the beautiful of Eros. The lover
and beloved participate in the ideal/form of the beautiful. Eros beauty ennobles
both the lover and the beloved with virtue, excellence, and wisdom (Angeles
24).
My belief of the beauty of Eros was stated by the British poet Keats, "A
thing of beauty is joy forever. Its loveliness increases; it will never pass
to nothingness" (Rosenberg 408).
Teacher: Again, I remind you that Beauty is also Good and True, This
Platonic Form admits no separation between the Beautiful, the Good, and the
True. Although Platonism is based on a fundamental dualism - that of reflection
and the Forms - at the highest level, there is the reality of the Forms.
A characteristic is realistically dealing with the ugly
Student: People who seek Eros recognize` that ugliness is a harsh reality of all human beings. He/she knows the nature of the ugly. People have unattractive bodies and hideous physical features. Some individuals are morally revolting, obnoxious, and offensive. Others threaten harm, danger, and trouble. Some provoke hostility, quarrels, and violence. The seeker of Eros recognizes the ugly in oneself and endeavors to minimize it. He/she endeavors to be a model of the beautiful. He/she also is aware of ugliness in the other. The two may be lovers, but the relationship may be filled with ugliness. The beloved may suffer from a sick anima or animus, addictions such as drugs, alcohol, and gambling, or vices such as lust, anger, and greed. The lover of Eros informs the other this intimate relations is ugly, and both parties must work to return it to the beauty of Eros. The lover is also aware that the relation may become so bad, that it can spiral downward until separation is the only answer.
Teacher: You are talking about an experience, dear student, that occurs
in the world of reflection - the phenomenal world. Here, beauty is only beauty.
At the nominal level, the level of the Forms, beauty is Beauty. At this level,
ugliness is not considered, for it has been absorbed.-made Beautiful, if you
will - by the Form of Beauty. When we live in the Cave, we cannot see this clearly.
The Characteristic of Unity
Student: The lover and beloved seek a union, a partnership of "we:" They perceive themselves as a new entity. Each partner is concerned with the well - being of the other. There is mutuality and shared interests and roles. Separation is lost, and an identity is a shared and they are perceived as a public couple ("Love'). As unity grows the Eros becomes more intense.
Teacher: Or, it could be viewed that unity becomes more apparent as Eros
clarifies the path. When he is brave enough brave enough to leave the embrace
of Aphrodite, he is Psyche, form or archetype.
Personal Visions of Eros
Student: My vision of Eros is visualized as the Divine Sophia who is my Lady Philosophy and Wisdom. I perceive her great mission as transforming her students to lovers of the true, good, and beautiful. She illuminates the archetype of the beautiful by teaching the ways of virtue and excellence and by creative expression in the arts. She fills our minds with thoughts of goodness and beauty, our hearts with compassion for wisdom, and our souls with journeys to the splendors of life. She unifies with the depth of one's being. I ask my sage teacher, " What is your vision of Eros?"
Teacher: We Are Eros. It is first as Plato teaches, we have forgotten
our essential nature. As we recollect - remember the truth of ourselves, Eros
is naturally unearthed, Eros is not something that we do, dear student, but
something we Are. Sometimes - when we consciously lived - the path of relationship
helps us remember it!
Works Cited
Angeles Peter. A Dictionary of Philosophy. New York: Barnes & Nobles, 1981.
"Love." Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2005. 4 Nov.2005. http://plato.standford.edu/enties/love
Rosenberg, Max. Introduction to Philosophy. New York: Philosopher Publishers,
1955.
Images of Plantonic Eros
Venus: Goddess of Platonic Eros and Wisdom
Platonic Eros,Wisdom, and Silence
Wonderful Goddess Eros
Eros in the Platonic Academy
Eros in Love with a Woman
Eros with Aphrodite
Eros as the handsome glorious man
Plantonic Eros in the Realm of
the Forms