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Analysis of The Phaedrus
The Phaedrus offers Plato’s philosophical insights into a range of themes. Most notably discussed in the first part are the themes of love and madness.
The dialogue is between Socrates and Phaedrus. Phaedrus has left the confines of the city to contemplate the speech of Lysias. This speech is concerned with whether a lover or a non-lover is a more suitable mate. Socrates implores a retelling of this speech, and on hearing it, is not impressed.
Socrates offers his own argument on the same theme, but makes methodological changes to the speech. Socrates defines love as the desire for beauty, then opposes desire with reason.
The first speech is not believed. It is articulated simply to highlight the stylistic flaws of Lysias’ speech, thus to undermine his argument. Socrates is on the side of the lover, and describes the myth of the winged soil in order to exemplify the superiority of the lover.
Love is the most explicit theme dealt with in the first part of The Phaedrus. Love is defined as one example of irrational desire:
"When the irrational desire that prevails over the conviction that aims at right is directed at physical beauty powerfully reinforced by the appetites which are akin to it, so that it emerges as victorious, it takes its name from the very power with which it is endowed and is called eros or passionate love"
Early in the text, an intrinsic link is made between love and irrationality. This is not disputed. Lysias takes this fact to argue that the non-lover is the better mate, as irrational behaviour is inferior to the power of controlled rationality. The person is benefited by alliance to the passionless but rational man.
Socrates does not dispute that love, or any form of desire is irrational. What he does suggest is that certain irrationalities, or forms of madness, are in fact gifts from the gods. He sights examples of the prophet and the poet as inspired irrationals.
When dealing with the lover, it is Socrates argument that the lover is in fact recollecting the form of beauty that his immortal soul is familiar with. There is a distinction between the sensual, worldly love, and inspired, passionate, mad love.
Phaedrus deals with extremes, in style and content. Plato applies hyperbolic metaphor and myth to ‘show’ the workings of the soul and passionate love. This is opposed to his dialectic on the immortality of the soul. Madness is another theme objectified, dealt with dialectically. Plato appears aware that he is discussing extremes, and that extremes are always in danger of overthrowing any rational argument to date. How can passion and madness be described rationally? How can they be analysed? Despite Socrates prerequisite for discussion:
"In every discussion, my dear boy, there is one and only one way of beginning
if one is to come to a sound conclusion; that is to know what it is one is discussing"
Madness is not defined. Constant references are made to the limits of communication, articulation and understanding. Socrates can argue dialectically for the immortality of the soul, but can only ‘represent’ the substance of the soul through myth.
Plato seems aware of the limits of his own rationality, and by drawing those limits, defines what is outside rationality.
rhetoric and writing in the phaedrus
quote bank.phaedrus