Platonic love (a form of love put forward by Plato) is a kind of spiritual love between people named after Plato, a western philosopher, who pursues spiritual communication and rejects sensuality. It was first put forward by Marsilio Ficino in15th century. As a synonym of Socrates' love, it is used to refer to the love relationship between Socrates and students.

basic concept

The essence of Plato's love is love based on "beauty", which achieves spiritual integration and ignores physical communication.

[2[2]? Plato conveyed an important point in the article Drinking, that is, he believed that the most ideal state between male lovers was the exchange of knowledge and virtue. In Sparta, if men indulge in sensuality too much, they will be punished by exile or bloodshed. Gender is not considered as the primary factor, because at that time, women generally had a low level of education, while men had a high level of education. The second important factor is that men in ancient Greece thought that women were just reproductive tools and it was not worth pouring their feelings into women. Women are discriminated against, so they can't communicate with each other and reach a balance. This is why men in ancient Greece made friends with men. This ideological trend of advocating love between men and women is based on the idea that women have not communicated with them on an equal footing. Its essence is to despise the ideological value of women.

Main significance

Platonic love has the following meanings:

1, the ideal view of love (metaphor is extremely romantic or impossible to realize)

2. Pure spiritual love, not physical love

3. Love concept of equality between men and women.

There is only one person in this world. For you (you), she (he) is perfect and only for you (you). In other words, everyone has his perfect partner, and there is only one.

The first meaning is the most commonly used, but it is actually a misunderstanding. But since everyone uses it this way, it's another meaning. This misunderstanding comes from Plato's masterpiece The Republic. This book discusses how to build an ideal country, because it may be too idealistic to be realized, so some people use it to explain what Platonic love is.

The second meaning is often used, but it is basically a misunderstanding. This misunderstanding comes from Plato's metaphysics. He thinks that what we think is true, and the "real world" we see is not true.

The third and fourth meanings are really Plato's view of love or gender.

Plato believes that people are in the most real conceptual world before and after death, where everyone is a complete man and woman, and in this world we are all divided into two. So people always feel that if they lose something, they will try to find their own "other half" (this word also comes from Plato's theory). Plato also used this to explain why people have "relationships".

In his theory, no half is more important, so men and women are equal. Moreover, your original half in the conceptual world is your perfect object. He/she is somewhere in the world looking for you/you.

Plato's Interpretation of Love

Plato's exposition of love is mainly found in his Drinking Articles. Among them, there are all levels of love from low to high, mortal love and love close to God.

First of all, love is an inherent and primitive need.

Plato mentioned such a myth: at first there were three kinds of people in the world, men represented by the sun god, women represented by the mother of the earth, and hermaphrodites represented by the moon. People's faculties and strength are twice as great as they are now. In order to weaken mankind, Zeus split man in two, killing two birds with one stone. On the one hand, human beings are only half as powerful as before, on the other hand, their numbers are doubled in order to better serve the protoss. Therefore, human beings have been looking for their "other half". The descendants of primitive men and women have homosexual tendencies, while the descendants of primitive hermaphrodites have heterosexual tendencies. Once you find your other half, especially between two men, it is hard to say what benefits they want from each other, but this combination pushes them to live together for life. In their love, those pure sexual pleasures can't be compared with the great happiness they get from each other. Their souls are actually looking for something else. They can't name it, but they can only tell it with obscure words and prophetic riddles. " These are actually remnants of the primitive state of mankind. We were originally complete, and now we are looking forward to and following this original integrity. This is called love. And all human beings, including all men and women, have only one way to be happy, and that is to find their own partners to realize love and heal our divided nature. Carlos, the god of love, will guide us to find a lover in this life and bring hope to the afterlife. As long as we fear the gods, the God of Love will one day cure our diseases and let us return to the original state and live happily.

Secondly, Plato's love for God is the perfect form of soul impulse.

Soul is the foundation of love, and perfection is the ultimate pursuit of love. The prophet Diotima said in Drinking that love is the expectation of immortality, and all perishable people are striving for immortality. Communication for the purpose of reproduction is the low-level pursuit of continuing reincarnation, while the highest realm of love is the wisdom and philosophy that can finally reach the form of goodness. The human body will rot, but only the spirit is immortal. The nobler a person's character, the greater his ambition, because they love eternity. Pure, noble and even beautiful love, with wisdom and philosophy as the pursuit object, the relationship between two people immersed in it will be stronger and their communication will be more complete, which is better than the mutual affection between husband and wife. This is because "what they create is more beautiful and lasts longer than the children of the body." At this level, love is the most important ideal in life. Compared with it, wealth, family background and power are just floating clouds and rotten soil.

Third, love is the acme of various rheological states.

Beauty and ugliness, love and resentment, ordinary and noble, love is in the middle of two extremes. In Plato's works, the birth of Carlos, the god of love, is the product of the poor god approaching and combining with Aphrodite, the god of love and beauty, while the god of wealth is drunk. Therefore, he is a child born in poverty but full of pursuit. He was born at two extremes, his father was poor and stupid, and his mother was rich and full of wisdom, which determined that his life path must be accompanied by wisdom, which he pursued all his life and regarded as his life. He is rich and poor, limited and imperfect, but he also retains traces of goodness and beauty. Plato thus put "love" in the gap of a concept, and Carlos became an abstract concept, because he "is in any normal and describable form", which represents the inner power to promote people's progress, acquire wisdom and ideals like Socrates' ignorance. Plato believes that this power includes emotion, desire, will and feeling, which is Plato's definition of the elements of love. Love urges people to pursue happiness.

Related stories

Plato asked his teacher Socrates one day what love was. Socrates told him to go to the wheat field once, or not to go back. On the way, he must pick the biggest and best ears of wheat, but he can only pick them once. Plato felt very relaxed and went out with confidence. Unexpectedly, he still didn't go back after a long time. Finally, he appeared in front of the teacher in frustration, complaining about the reason why he returned empty-handed: "It's rare to see a seemingly good plant, but I don't know if it's the best. I have to. " At this time, Socrates told him: "That is love".

Plato asked his teacher Socrates one day what marriage was. Socrates told him to go to Lin Bin Forest once, or not to go back. On the way, he had to take the best and most suitable wood for Christmas tree, but only once. Plato learned the last lesson and went out with confidence. After half a day, he dragged a fir tree, which looked straight and green, but a little sparse. Socrates asked him, "Is this the best wood?" Plato replied to the teacher: "Because I can only take one tree, I finally saw a tree that looked good. I found that my time and physical strength were running out, so I took it back, whether it was the best or not." At this time, Socrates told him: "That is marriage".

Plato once again asked his teacher Socrates what an affair was. Socrates still asked him to go to the Woods once. He could walk back and forth and pick up the most beautiful flowers on the road. Plato went out safely again. Two hours later, he came back with a bright but slightly missing flower. Socrates asked him, "Is this the best flower?" Plato replied to the teacher: "I searched for two hours and found that it was the most blooming and beautiful flower, but it gradually withered on my way home after I picked it." At this time, Socrates told him: "It was an affair".

Another day, he asked his teacher Socrates what life was. Socrates told him that once he went to the Woods, he could walk back and forth to pick up the most beautiful flowers on the road. Plato learned from the past and went out with confidence. After three days and nights, he didn't come back. Socrates had to go into the Woods to find him, and finally found that Plato had camped in the Woods. Socrates asked him, "Did you find the most beautiful flower?" Plato pointed to a flower beside him and said, "Is this the most beautiful flower?" Socrates asked, "Why don't you take it out?" Plato answered the teacher, "If I take it off, it will wither at once. Even if I don't pick it, it will wither sooner or later So I lived next to it when it was still in full bloom. When it fades, look for the next one. This is already the second most beautiful flower I have found. " At this time, Socrates told him: "You already know the true meaning of life.

About Plato

Plato (Plato, π λ? τ ω ν (about 427-347 BC), a great philosopher in ancient Greece, is also one of the greatest philosophers and thinkers in the whole western philosophy and even the whole western culture. He, Socrates, the teacher, and Aristotle, the student, are called the three great philosophers of ancient Greece. Other concepts include Platonism, Platonic Love, Economic Chart and so on.

Love vision

Plato and Aristotle were the most influential philosophers in ancient Greece, among which Plato had a great influence on later generations. Plato wrote a book in the mouth of his teacher Socrates, saying that when the mind abandons the body and yearns for truth, then thought is the best. When the soul is infected by the sins of the body, people's desire for truth will not be satisfied.

In Europe, there has long been Platonic love called "spiritual love" by China people. This kind of love thinks that the combination of flesh is impure and dirty, and that love and lust are two opposite States. Therefore, when a person is really in love, it is impossible to think of physical union with the object he loves.

In today's people's eyes, Plato's view of love is incredible. On the other hand, an American scholar put forward a new view on Plato's love as understood by modern people. Ira reiss, president of the American East-West Social Society and author of American Family System, believes that the spiritual love advocated by Plato actually refers to a kind of love between the same sex, that is, "homosexuality". The ancient Greeks believed that the process of homosexuality was more of a spiritual communication, a spiritual communication than a physical communication. This is why Plato emphasized the love between the same sex. Plato firmly believes that "real" love is a persistent emotion.

American sociologists have different opinions about whether Platonic love is pure love with only spiritual intercourse or elegant love with physical intercourse but emphasizing spiritual intercourse. But one thing is certain, that is, Plato believed that love can sublimate people. He said that for a person who lives a noble life, it is not blood, honor and wealth that guide his behavior, but love. There is no emotion in the world so deeply rooted in people's hearts as love. If a person in love has committed disgraceful acts and is seen by his father, friends or anyone else, he will not look pale like a lover, lose everything and be unable to face the person he loves and the person who loves himself.

Personal quotations

Looking for eternity in a short life.

Love is the joy brought by beauty, the miracle created by wisdom and the surprise given by the gods. People who lack love long for love, while those who have love cherish it.

Love, only affection, can make people dare to give their lives for the people they love; This can be done not only by men, but also by women.

Respect for people should not be superior to respect for truth.

Time has taken everything away, and it will change your name, appearance, personality and destiny in the years.

Procrastination is the best way to suppress anger.

Early education should be a kind of entertainment, so it is easier to find a natural hobby.

The human heart can be divided into two parts, one is good and the other is evil. If there are many good things that can stop evil, it is enough for the cloud to be independent and praised by the United States; In view of poor education or the influence of the wicked, the evil part is bigger, and the good part is more and more occupied. I am my own slave and everyone spits on me.

A good beginning is half the battle.

The most moral people are those who have morality but don't show it on the outside, and still feel satisfied.

Good people are good because they are smart, and bad people are bad because they are stupid.

All knowledge that deviates from justice should be called cunning, not wisdom

Not knowing your ignorance is double ignorance.

Nothing is happier than health, although they didn't think it was the greatest happiness before they got sick.

Some stories that we should try our best to make children start to hear must be the best lessons with moral influence.

Law is the crystallization of all human wisdom, including all social thoughts and morals.

Only the dead can see the end of the war.

Tell yourself once a day: "I'm really fine."

Anger is punishing yourself for what others have done wrong.

People in love are all poets.

No matter when you start, it is important not to stop after you start; No matter when it ends, it is important not to regret it after it ends.

As long as you have confidence, people will never be defeated.

Although beauty is good, it will eventually be a disaster. Although the portrait looks good, it will eventually become a dead thing.

Love is not unique, he just witnessed the process from knowing each other to dying.