What Is Love? Plato's Symposium

Love is everywhere. We write songs about it, search for it, celebrate it, and sometimes lose it.

But what is it?

Is love simply attraction? Is it friendship? A desire for beauty? Or does it help us become better people?

More than 2,000 years ago, Plato explored these questions in one of philosophy's most famous dialogues, The Symposium. Set at a drinking party in ancient Athens, a group of guests take turns answering a single question: What is love?

Their answers couldn't be more different.

For Aristophanes, "love is the name for our pursuit of wholeness." Phaedrus argues that nothing teaches virtue better than love. Diotima describes love as "the desire to possess the good forever," and as a journey that begins with physical attraction but ultimately leads us towards beauty, wisdom, and the good life.

So who, if anyone, gets it right?

Is romantic love different from friendship?
Can love make us virtuous or does it simply make us irrational?
What are we really looking for when we fall in love?

As always, there's no structure, no right answers, and no need for philosophical expertise. Just come along, grab a drink and join the conversation.

Expect thoughtful discussion, contrasting perspectives, and a few ideas that might change the way you think about love.

See you there!