Author(s)

RuoNan Liu

Affiliation(s)

Keystone Academy, Beijing 101138, China.

Corresponding Author

RuoNan Liu

ABSTRACT

In Symposium, Aristophanes introduces a myth of trigender: male, female, and their union, asserting that beings were once split in half by Zeus. This separation compels individuals to spend their earthly lives in search of reunion, ultimately striving for the island of the blessed. This paper investigates the implications of Aristophanes' claims regarding the nature of love as both a fatalistic force and a divine mission. It explores whether Plato hints at a predetermined aspect of love or emphasizes its role as an aspirational journey of the soul. Additionally, the essay examines how the existence of separate genders influences the pursuit of love and the potential for reunion. What does it mean for individuals of a single gender in this framework? How does this framework shape our understanding of love's mission? By addressing these questions, the essay aims to elucidate the complexities of love in Symposium, highlighting the tension between Aristophanes' myth and the broader philosophical discourse initiated by prior speakers and echoed by Socrates. Ultimately, this paper will attempt to comment upon the existential and metaphysical dimensions of love as a quest for unity and fulfillment.

KEYWORDS

Love; Gender; Mythology; Fatalism; Divine purpose; Soul

CITE THIS PAPER

RuoNan Liu. Symposium: fate, divinity, and genders in love. History and Culture Journal. 2025, 2(1): 50-53. DOI: https://doi.org/10.61784/hcj3013.

REFERENCES

[1] Sheffield F C C. Plato: The Symposium. Translated by M. C. Howatson. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.

[2] Hooper A. The Greatest Hope of All: Aristophanes on Human Nature in Plato’s “Symposium.” The Classical Quarterly, 2013, 63(2): 567–579. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43905990.

[3] Burton N. Plato’s Myth of Aristophanes? Neel Burton author website and bookshop. Neel Burton Author Website and Bookshop, 2024. https://neelburton.com/2024/09/25/platonic-myths-the-myth-of-aristophanes/.

[4] Halperin D M. One Hundred Years of Homosexuality: And Other Essays on Greek Love (1st ed.). Routledge, 1990. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203430583.

[5] Price A W. Love and Friendship in Plato and Aristotle. Kiribati: Clarendon Press, 1989.

[6] Padel R. Whom Gods Destroy: Elements of Greek and Tragic Madness. The Classical World, 1997. https://doi.org/10.2307/4351971.

[7] Buzguta C. The Concept of Eros in Plato’s Philosophy and the Concept of Agape in Christian Thought, 2024. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12684784.

[8] Destrée P, Giannopoulou Z. Plato’s Symposium: A Critical Guide. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017.

[9] Butler J, Trouble G. Feminism and the Subversion of Identity. Gender trouble, 1990, 3(1): 3-17.