The Pursuit Of Beauty In Plato's Vision Of Eos

Through the course of Plato’s dialogues, his vision of Eros evolves through different stages. Socrates says that the path to achieving a vision of true beauty is to follow stages which will lead to the highest form of beauty, through the development of reason. The author David Roochnik explains that “Philosophy attempts to articulate the vision of beauty itself and thereby to satisfy the highest human desire. Only beauty itself, understood as an object of human Eros, can produce a satisfying logos. Unlike all others, philosophical logos does not run out” (146). To Plato, physical beauty is external and therefore ephemeral. True beauty lies in the pursuit of wisdom and values that are beyond the boundaries the human physical senses – like seeing

When one goes about this path, he/she acquires virtues that beautify their soul and are unchangeable by the earthly world. Also, physical beauty belongs to its holder only and cannot be transferred to others being. A beauty of a soul, however, can be passed on to others through knowledge and therefore beatify other souls along its path. For instance, a courageous soul can move others around them to be courageous. Fast-forwarding from the philosophers to today’s society, an example taken from current events is the Alicia Key’s decision to appear in open television without any makeup. The singer has decided to take the approach and incorporated it in her everyday life, without exceptions. She claims that she no longer wishes to hide who she really is in her soul, in her work or any aspect of her life. Her courageous decisions (for today’s standards) has inspired many other women to also embrace their true beauty and give space for their soul’s beauty represent them instead of the physical. In my eyes, she has become a more beautiful human being for taking such step and has inspired other souls, like me, to take the same action. That is an example of someone that sought to make their soul more beautiful through knowledge, took an action that transcended the usual earthy concerns, and was able to influence others with her wisdom of the meaning of true

These people look to satisfy the Eros by seeking the most valuable definition of true beauty. It is the concept of content over matter. The content of the soul weighs more positively than the importance of the idolization of the body. Therefore in the matters of love, when one attempts to live an examined life, he/she finds true happiness in recognizing and loving the individuality in their partner’s