Heath P. Lail, writer/artist, proudly presents....
"A Return to Greatness (or the Storyarc Who Simply Would Not Wait), Part the First"
The Symposium tells of a meeting of great minds, who gather at the home of Agathon to discuss philosophical matters that interest them. Eryximachus is first to speak, noting that while he once found a well-written poem noting the greatness and multiple utilities of salt, he has found none that adequately discuss the grandeur of Love, supposed by ancients to be the oldest of the gods to appear.
Socrates answered thusly: he would not dispute Ery's comment, and he doubted that any others in attendance would either. Yet he wished to hold a round-table of sorts to listen to others opinions and speeches on the matter before himself commenting on the subject.
Phaedrus was to speak first. He began by noting Love's strengths and importance, as evidenced by his status as first-born. He continues on, saying that love is the greatest thing that can happen to a young man and that love, both for others and self, should be the greatest of man's principles by which he lives and dies. For what man would not defend one he loves? Would not the most cowardly man become like a lion if his beloved was threatened? Love makes a man wish to lay his life down for those he loves, though others of closer blood might be in the same position, yet they choose not to act. Though Love itself is to be cherished, it is infinitely more valued to know that one is loved, rather than simply to know of Love's existence and be denied it. This was the speech of Phaedrus.
This seems a wonderful speech, one that makes many valid points...the main thing I drew from this was that without Love, many things would be left unfinished--the drive to complete difficult tasks would be non-existent and people would simply give into despair. Anyone who has ever felt the love of another also must agree that the feeling of being loved by someone special to you is a feeling that is nigh indescribable. You can't tell others of this feeling...it is something that each of us must experience individually, and everyone describes it quite differently. For example, my explanation of this pure love would be like an early morning sunrise viewed from atop a hill of tall green grass, with the sleepy sun burning off the morning mist. Or perhaps it would be as holding the one you love on that same hill at night, searching the millions of stars and constellations for two that you might pluck from the sky and hold forever in your hearts. Or finally, it could be the ability to travel in that silent vacuum of space without any ship or form of propulsion--just the silence, the hugeness of the Void, and the feeling of floating on nothingness, looking at the bring twinkling dots that are all around. See, when even one human may have more than one view of how Love is described how many infinite numbers of descriptions must there be extant in the universe? Moving on...Pausanias continues thus--
He declares that there is more than one Love, and that Phaedrus should have more closely examined this duality of Love. One Love is Heavenly, and this comes from Aphrodite. The other Love is common, and is the daughter of Zeus and Dione. He continues on to say that actions in and of themselves are neither evil nor good. They must be put into context before they may be properly examined, and so must Love. Surely Love that is not noble and pure must not be admired? Only Love that comes from noble thoughts and actions must be praised by mortals...foolish beings who act with only a means to an end are not viewing Love in the correct context, for Love must be noble. It is essential to its being. This is like the Love of young boys--it is wildly powerful yet inexplicably dangerous in the end. The future of this Love is uncertain...it may be pure and noble or evil and corrupt. He continues to say that in other countries, some rulers see fit to discourage friendships or the bonding of two people through Love...for a people without bonds are much easier to rule than those whom feel a sense of camaraderie. I really like what he says here..."and this is the reason why, in the first place, a hasty attachment is held to be dishonorable, because time is the true test of this as of most other things; and secondly there is dishonor in being overcome by the love of money, wealth, or political power, whether a man is frightened into surrender by the loss of them, or, having experienced the benefits of money and political corruption, is unable to rise above their seductions."
I think this is a good place to stop...I will pick up here again hopefully tomorrow. Whew...no more four-post days though:) G'night.
H
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