PHIL 259 Chapter Notes - Chapter 4: Aphrodite Pandemos
11 Jan 2017
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Reading 4: Philosophy of Love: Symposium (p. 13 – 20)
Background Information
Homosexuality in Ancient Greece
• Most widespread & socially significant form of same-sex sexual relations in ancient Greece was
b/w adult men & pubescent/adolescent boys, known as pederasty
• Marriages b/w men (in 30s) & women (in early teens)
• Unclear how such relations b/w women were regarded in general society
• Greeks did not conceive of sexual orientation as a social identifier
• Did not distinguish sexual desire or behaviour by the gender of participants but rather role each
participant played in the sex act (active penetrator or passive penetrated)
o Active penetrator = associated w/ masculinity, higher social status, adulthood
o Passive penetrated = associated w/ femininity, lower social status, youth
Symposium
The Speech of Phaedrus
• Love is one of the most ancient gods
• “There is a certain guidance each person needs for his whole life, if he is to live will; & nothing
impart this guidance—not high kinship, nor public honour, not wealth—nothing imparts this
guidance as well as Love. What guidance do I mean? I mean a sense of shame at acting
shamefully, and a sense of pride in acting well. Without these, nothing fine or great can be
accomplished, in public or in private” (15) → mentor relation
• A man found doing something shameful, while shameful for him, makes his lover feel especially
ashamed.
• A city full of lovers and the boys they love would be an ideal society, no one would do anything
shameful & would seek honour in e/o eyes
• A man fighting (in war) would never let anyone, especially his lover, see him drop his weapon or
leaving the ranks, he’d rather die 1,000 deaths
• True Love will inspire man w/ courage & bravery as if he were born a hero
The Speech of Pausanias
• 2 kinds of love: Common Aphrodite’s Love, and Heavenly Aphrodite’s Love
• 2 goddesses of love: (God of heaven = Urania, or Heavenly Aphrodite; younger goddess—
daughter of Zeus & Dione = Pandemos, or Common Aphrodite)
• “Every type of action: considered in itself, no action is either good or bad, honourable or
shameful… how it comes out depends entirely on how it is performed.” (16)
• “Love is not in himself noble or worthy of praise; that depends on whether the sentiments he
produces in us are themselves noble.” (16)
• Common Aphrodite’s Love is commonly felt for boys & women, focus more on body than soul,
about completing sexual act
• Heavenly Aphrodite’s Love is felt purely for teenage boys, pleasure in what is by nature stronger
& more intelligent, generally prepared to share everything with the one he loves, eager to spend
the rest of his life w/ him while still young & inexperienced, as boy gets older, move onto
someone else
• 2 facts of ancient Greek customs
1. Shameful to yield too quickly
2. Shameful for a man to be seduced by money/political power
• Lover has total & willing subjugation to his beloved’s wishes or (only other reason to be the
love—without shame) subjection for sake of virtue
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