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Single Idea 184
[filed under theme 21. Aesthetics / A. Aesthetic Experience / 5. Natural Beauty
]
Full Idea
One should step up from physical beauty, to moral beauty, to the beauty of knowledge, until at last one knows what absolute beauty is.
Clarification
'Beauty' is the Greek word 'kalos', which also translates as 'fine'
Gist of Idea
Progress goes from physical beauty, to moral beauty, to the beauty of knowledge, and reaches absolute beauty
Source
Plato (The Symposium [c.384 BCE], 211c)
Book Ref
Plato: 'The Symposium', ed/tr. Hamilton,W [Penguin 1951], p.94
A Reaction
Presumably this is why Socrates refused sexual favours to Alcibiades. The idea is inspiring, and yet it is a rejection of humanity.
The
19 ideas
from 'The Symposium'
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14177
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Love assists men in achieving merit and happiness
[Plato]
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170
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The only slavery which is not dishonourable is slavery to excellence
[Plato]
|
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171
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Music is a knowledge of love in the realm of harmony and rhythm
[Plato]
|
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172
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Love of ugliness is impossible
[Plato]
|
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173
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Beauty and goodness are the same
[Plato]
|
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174
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True opinion without reason is midway between wisdom and ignorance
[Plato]
|
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14178
|
Happiness is secure enjoyment of what is good and beautiful
[Plato]
|
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175
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Gods are not lovers of wisdom, because they are already wise
[Plato]
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176
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Love follows beauty, wisdom is exceptionally beautiful, so love follows wisdom
[Plato]
|
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177
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If a person is good they will automatically become happy
[Plato]
|
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179
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Love is desire for perpetual possession of the good
[Plato]
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4026
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Beauty is harmony with what is divine, and ugliness is lack of such harmony
[Plato]
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180
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We call a person the same throughout life, but all their attributes change
[Plato]
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181
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Only the gods stay unchanged; we replace our losses with similar acquisitions
[Plato]
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14179
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The finest branch of wisdom is justice and moderation in ordering states and families
[Plato]
|
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182
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The first step on the right path is the contemplation of physical beauty when young
[Plato]
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1607
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Diotima said the Forms are the objects of desire in philosophical discourse
[Plato, by Roochnik]
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183
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Stage two is the realisation that beauty of soul is of more value than beauty of body
[Plato]
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184
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Progress goes from physical beauty, to moral beauty, to the beauty of knowledge, and reaches absolute beauty
[Plato]
|