The Intermediate Erôs in Plato's Philosophy of Love


Main funder


Funds granted by main funder (€)

  • 57 600,00


Project timetable

Project start date01/07/2018

Project end date30/06/2020


Summary

This research studies the philosophy of love and the concept of erôs in Plato's dialogues Symposium and Phaedrus and falls under the fields of the history of philosophy and the philosophy of gender. In erôs the missions of philosophy and love are bound tightly together: love occurs between individuals as well as constructing the meaning of philosophy. In erôs opposites that seem to be contrary at the first sight are connected by necessity. It is thus the intermediate states between opposites such as particular-universal, soul-body, and active-passive which are typical in Plato's thought. This interpretation participates in the new consensus of the analysis of philosophy of love and sexual ethics in Plato and clarifies it. It challenges the traditional reading of Plato by accepting the possibility of love (also bodily) between unique individuals. The treatment of the meanings of love, gender, and sexuality through ancient texts enables the critical but constructive examination of the themes in our present-day thought: a certain way of thinking is not fixed, it has varied - and still can


Principal Investigator


Primary responsible unit


Last updated on 2022-06-07 at 12:41