In The Birth of Tragedy, the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche described Dionysian forces of madness as antithetical to the Socratic or Apollonian embodiment of reason. [Note 42] Socrates then goes on to say, Socrates's speech, on the other hand, starts with a thesis and proceeds to make divisions accordingly, finding divine love, and setting it out as the greatest of goods. [Note 49], No written instructions for an art can yield results clear or certain, Socrates states, but rather can only remind those that already know what writing is about. The major themes of the Phaedrus are introduced in these opening scenes of the dialogue: Love Lysias's speech deals with a particular kind of love relationship: the sexually charged affiliation of an older man and … The dialogue consists of a series of three speeches on the topic of love that serves as the subject to construct a discussion on the proper use of rhetoric. Socrates resigns himself to the divine force and continues his speech. While ordinary people rebuke them for this, they are unaware that the lover of wisdom is possessed by a god. Phaedrus then reads Lysias's speech to Socrates. Such a “sick man” takes pleasure in the weaker rather than the stronger, so the boy will necessarily be weaker—or the man will try to make him weaker. To practice the art, one must have a grasp of the truth and a detailed understanding of the soul in order to properly persuade. Yet Socrates does not dismiss the art of speechmaking. The question has inspired much debate in Phaedrus scholarship. The role of divine inspiration in philosophy must also be considered; the philosopher is struck with the fourth kind of madness, that of love, and it is this divine inspiration that leads him and his beloved towards the good—but only when tempered with self-control. [Note 28], Souls then begin cycles of reincarnation. Socrates states that he is a "seer". [Note 19], He begins by briefly proving the immortality of the soul. This final critique of writing with which the dialogue concludes seems to be one of the more interesting facets of the conversation for those who seek to interpret Plato in general; Plato, of course, comes down to us through his numerous written works, and philosophy today is concerned almost purely with the reading and writing of written texts. [Note 15], However, just before Socrates is about to leave, he is stopped by the "familiar divine sign", his daemon, which always occurs and only just before Socrates is about to do something he should not. Phaedrus is Plato's only dialogue that shows Socrates outside the city of Athens, out in the country. Such a man will serve no use as mentor or friend, since he will retard rather than develop the boy’s intellectual development. By the same token, the man will delight in the boy’s mental defects rather than his strengths, and the man’s jealousy will steer the boy away from positive influences. Since the lover is driven by outrageous desire, he will surely seek what is most pleasurable in his boyfriend. When reminded, the wings begin to grow back, but as they are not yet able to rise, the afflicted gaze aloft and pay no attention to what goes on below, bringing on the charge of madness. The souls of men, however, are all burdened by the combination of a good... Phaedrus study guide contains a biography of Plato, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. As they walk out into the countryside, Socrates tries to convince Phaedrus to repeat the speech of Lysias which he has just heard. As he breaks off mid-speech, he claims to be “on the edge of speaking in dithyrambs” (238d). ", namely, the pharmakon. Socrates, attempting to flatter Phaedrus, responds that he is in ecstasy and that it is all Phaedrus' doing. [1] Although ostensibly about the topic of love, the discussion in the dialogue revolves around the art of rhetoric and how it should be practiced, and dwells on subjects as diverse as metempsychosis (the Greek tradition of reincarnation) and erotic love. Socrates invokes the Muses at the beginning of his speech. Socrates tells a brief legend, critically commenting on the gift of writing from the Egyptian god Theuth to King Thamus, who was to disperse Theuth's gifts to the people of Egypt. The problem, he explains, is that one overcome with this desire will want to turn his boy into whatever is most pleasing to himself, rather than what is best for the boy. [Note 6] Finally, after Phaedrus swears on the plane tree that he will never recite another speech for Socrates if Socrates refuses, Socrates, covering his head, consents. Eros, much like in the Symposium, is contrasted from mere desire of the pleasurable and given a higher, heavenly function. [Note 31], Beauty, he states, was among the most radiant things to see beyond heaven, and on earth it sparkles through vision, the clearest of our senses. When a soul sheds its wings, it comes to earth and takes on an earthly body that then seems to move itself. The relationships discussed in the speeches are explicitly pederastic. To better mark a split between the first and second part, the speech is interrupted by Socrates and a short dialogue with Phædrus ensues. Socrates comments that as the speech seemed to make Phaedrus radiant, he is sure that Phaedrus understands these things better than he does himself, and that he cannot help follow Phaedrus' lead into his Bacchic frenzy. Kissel, Adam ed. This is because they have seen the most and always keep its memory as close as possible, and philosophers maintain the highest level of initiation. I’m on the edge of speaking in dithyrambs as it is. The definition of Love is the attraction, which contains sexual desire and the strong love felt by person who has a romantic relationship. They encompass discussions of the soul, madness, divine inspiration, and the practice and mastery of an art. Socrates concedes that the lover is in a less “healthy” mental state than the non-lover, but that such ideas (e.g., “love is a sickness”) are commonplace, and that to be persuasive one must argue less obvious positions. All the gods, except for Hestia, follow Zeus in this procession. On the way they are able to see Justice, Self-control, Knowledge, and other things as they are in themselves, unchanging. The dialogue is given unmediated, in the direct words of Socrates and Phaedrus, without other interlocutors to introduce the story or give it to us; it comes first hand, as if we are witnessing the events themselves. The speaker concludes: “Do wolves love lambs? [Note 29], One comes to manifest this sort of love after seeing beauty here on earth and being reminded of true beauty as it was seen beyond heaven. Phaidros), written by Plato, is a dialogue between Plato's protagonist, Socrates, and Phaedrus, an interlocutor in several dialogues. While the gods have two good horses, everyone else has a mixture: one is beautiful and good, while the other is neither. Love is a kind of desire. Jacques Derrida makes an extensive study on the untranslatable concept of what is at once a "'remedy, 'recipe,' 'drug,' 'philter,' etc. After showing that speech making itself isn't something reproachful, and that what is truly shameful is to engage in speaking or writing shamefully or badly, Socrates asks what distinguishes good from bad writing, and they take this up. He attributes his peculiar flow of words to Socrates’ physical location: There’s something really divine about this place, so don’t be surprised if I’m quite taken by the Nymphs’ madness as I go on with the speech.

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