Platonic Eros
Platonic Eros
This chapter elaborates on how all of Western philosophy can be treated as a series of footnotes to Plato, even on theories about love. To some, Platonism may seem to be a critique of the lack of creative originality of later philosophy, but it must be the starting point of every discussion of the philosophy of love because courtly love, Romantic love, and religious love all take root in Plato. Even the involvement and influence of Christian dogma, popular folklore, and Moorish idealism can be traced to Platonic origins: Christian dogma via St. Augustine, popular folklore via Hellenistic fables reproduced by Ovid, and Moorish idealism via Avicenna and Plotinus. In fact, most of Plato’s theories and ideas about love occur in what is considered one of the greatest works of philosophy and literature: the Symposium.
Keywords: Western philosophy, Plato, Platonism, courtly love, Romantic love, religious love, Christian dogma, popular folklore, Moorish idealism, Symposium
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