Love

The two main types of love discussed in Plato's Symposium are popular love and heavenly love.

Popular love is described as being sort of haphazard and driven by the fleeting passions. It is directed either towards a woman or towards a man, and is driven by a lust for the body rather than a desire for the soul's wisdom. It admires accomplishments in the beloved, but takes no notice of the manner in which they were required. It is characterized by a lack of harmony between the two individuals, and is considered wicked or base.

In contrast, heavenly love is considered noble, and is only directed towards a male, from a male. It is not a passion for boys, but rather is a love of wisdom and goodness. Thus, this love is captivated by the beauty of the mind or of the soul, and because it seeks wisdom and goodness, it makes both individuals wise and good. Essentially, the elder of the two is the pursuer, and he teaches wisdom and knowledge to the younger, who in turn gratifies the elder because it is considered right to gratify good men. This creates a sort of harmony between the two, and results in a forever friendship, even when the lover/beloved relationship dissipates.

Thus, love is the pursuit of wisdom that results in unity between a lover and a beloved.