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Single Idea 179

[filed under theme 22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / g. Love ]

Full Idea

Love is desire for perpetual possession of the good.

Gist of Idea

Love is desire for perpetual possession of the good

Source

Plato (The Symposium [c.384 BCE], 206a)

Book Ref

Plato: 'The Symposium', ed/tr. Hamilton,W [Penguin 1951], p.86


A Reaction

Even the worst human beings often have lovers. 'Perpetual' is a nice observation.


The 19 ideas from 'The Symposium'

Love assists men in achieving merit and happiness [Plato]
The only slavery which is not dishonourable is slavery to excellence [Plato]
Music is a knowledge of love in the realm of harmony and rhythm [Plato]
Love of ugliness is impossible [Plato]
Beauty and goodness are the same [Plato]
True opinion without reason is midway between wisdom and ignorance [Plato]
Happiness is secure enjoyment of what is good and beautiful [Plato]
Gods are not lovers of wisdom, because they are already wise [Plato]
Love follows beauty, wisdom is exceptionally beautiful, so love follows wisdom [Plato]
If a person is good they will automatically become happy [Plato]
Love is desire for perpetual possession of the good [Plato]
Beauty is harmony with what is divine, and ugliness is lack of such harmony [Plato]
We call a person the same throughout life, but all their attributes change [Plato]
Only the gods stay unchanged; we replace our losses with similar acquisitions [Plato]
The finest branch of wisdom is justice and moderation in ordering states and families [Plato]
The first step on the right path is the contemplation of physical beauty when young [Plato]
Diotima said the Forms are the objects of desire in philosophical discourse [Plato, by Roochnik]
Stage two is the realisation that beauty of soul is of more value than beauty of body [Plato]
Progress goes from physical beauty, to moral beauty, to the beauty of knowledge, and reaches absolute beauty [Plato]