oduced. This is something that Diotima makes as one of her final points. That is that love is a creative force it helps mortals reach their potential both within themselves aswell as others. Each speaker introduced a part of Love expanding on the last building the foundation for the climax, which takes place through Socrates’ retelling of a memory he had of a woman namedDiotima. This writer believes that there was foreknowledge of the topic to be discussed. Withthat, as mentioned earlier, it is believed that Socrates was indeed meditating recalling theconversation that manifested from within, through a transcendental experience making Socrates asclose to the forms as possible for a mortal. Also, it is believed that Plato chose a womanconsciously to add the essence of irony. A woman had taken on Socrates and out thought him. In fact it was mentioned in the dialogue that she taught him (according to Socrates) on aboutlove. Thus, the dialogue between Diotima and Socrates manifests itself. As they produced theirthoughts and conversed, the reader was led to conclude that Diotima was at the highest level ofenlightenment, at least compared to the members within that particular party. Diotima’s conversation with Socrates seems to take form in three distinct parts. In thefirst part, she establishes the concept of duality by distinguishing between moral and divine andlove is a spirit and a bridge or a messenger between the two. She engages with Socrateschallenging his choice of words and shows the connection of spirit, mortal and Gods. She alsostates that Love is the son of poor and plenty, stressing love’s dual nature, saying that it springsfrom need and lack, yet it can motivate people to strive for great achievement. She ties this alltogether by saying a philosopher, like love, is a mean between wisdom and ignorance. She thenconcludes by saying that love is a philosopher. In the second part, they both go back an...
