Dialogues · Theme
Love and Friendship
How Dialogues develops Love and Friendship.
The dialogues explore different forms of love (eros), including the love of wisdom, the proper conduct of a lover, and the role of friendship and kinship in binding individuals and the state together.
Where it surfaces
- Lysis
The central theme of the dialogue, examining the nature of philia (friendship) and the relationship between lover and beloved.
- Some Questions Relating to Friendship
The chapter is entirely devoted to exploring the nature, conditions, and problems of friendship, including its relation to love and virtue.
- Lysis
The central theme of the chapter; Socrates examines the nature of philia (friendship/love) through various hypotheses.
- Phaedrus
Explores the concept of divine madness in love and the true nature of friendship.
- Symposium
The entire dialogue explores the nature and purpose of love, from physical desire to philosophical ascent.
- Symposium
Explores the distinction between vulgar love (based on body and material gain) and heavenly love (based on virtue and the improvement of the soul), emphasizing lifelong bonds and the pursuit of the good.
- Introduction and Analysis
Briefly touches on the natural affections as a foundation for moral ideas, though not a central theme.
- Book VIII
The Athenian Stranger distinguishes between virtuous love based on likeness and base love based on contraries, advocating for laws that promote the former.