ANALYSIS OF DIOTIMA-SOCRATES DIALOGUE 2

Analysis of Diotima-Socrates Dialogues

Passage 201e-212b can be interpreted as Diotima explaining to Socrates the Form of
Beauty and how it is attained. Plato’s Theory of Forms holds that Forms are the only
representatives of truth. Forms are the truth because they are stable and unchanging. Equally
important, knowledge of Forms cannot be acquired through senses. In passage 201e-212b,
Diotima explains the characteristics of the Form of Beauty and how it is attained.
In 211a, it is described as “neither comes to be nor passes away, neither waxes nor wanes”.
This line shows that the Form of Beauty is permanent. The next paragraphs characterize it as
being a universally beauty. In other words, it has that quality that makes all things beautiful.
Diotima then explains how one gets knowledge of the Form of Beauty. It is not
acquired through senses but the mind. It is also developed gradually from gaining knowledge
of particulars or examples of beauty to ultimately knowing the Form of Beauty. Diotima
explains this in line 211c “One develops love of beauty from one body to two and from two
to all beautiful bodies, then from beautiful bodies to beautiful customs, and from customs to
learning beautiful things”. In other words, at first a person learns to appreciate particular
beauty of the body. Realizing that beautiful bodies are related, he will then move from loving
particular bodies to loving all beautiful bodies. After loving all bodies, he will begin loving
beautiful minds more than beautiful bodies. Once he begins loving beautiful minds, he will
start loving beauty in abstract concepts, such as law and customs. After loving such abstract
concepts, the person will begin loving learning or knowledge.
The man, therefore, begins by appreciating beauty that is particular. This is the body’s
beauty or physical beauty. He then starts appreciating beauty that is more general – the
beauty of all bodies. He expands the types of beauties he appreciates/loves from those of

ANALYSIS OF DIOTIMA-SOCRATES DIALOGUE 3

bodies to those of minds and then of abstract concepts and then knowledge. As he
progressively falls in love with more general things, his love for particular things wanes. For
instance, when he falls in love with mind, he begins loving particular bodies. His ultimate
love, therefore, becomes love of the general beauty.
It is the love of general beauty or the Form of Beauty that Diotima describes to
Socrates. It is a beauty that is not specific. It is beauty in general. It is not beautiful because
others are ugly in comparison. It is beautiful in and by itself. Its beauty that is also permanent,
not transient like other forms of beauty, such as the body.
In this dialogue between Diotima and Socrates, Diotima concludes that once Socrates
attains the highest form of love and is able to acquire the knowledge of Form of Beauty, he
will never again appreciate the beauty of physical bodies or that he will never again
experience physical love. She explains this in 211d “If you once see that, it won’t occur to
you to measure beauty by gold or clothing or beautiful boys and youths”.
I do not, however, agree with her conclusion. I do not believe that moving up the
ladder of love makes one falls out of love with earlier steps. For instance, just because one
has developed the love of learning does mean that they can now not love physical bodies.
They can love both simultaneously.

ANALYSIS OF DIOTIMA-SOCRATES DIALOGUE 4

References
Plato. (2005). The symposium (Vol. 23). Penguin UK.