Palina Yaroshyk

This work analyses the concept of love in Plato’s Phaedrus and Symposium. Many scholars while referring to the apparent emphasis on same-sex male relations conclude that the highest stage of eros—reaching the Form of Beauty—is only possible for males and only through homosexual love. By considering Plato’s texts as complementary, this essay argues that it is possible to understand Plato’s conception of love as transcending gender demonstrating that women, like men, are capable of experiencing and inspiring love in its highest, most ideal forms. Moreover, it argues that homosexual love, even though explicitly discussed by Plato, is not the only suitable interpretation, but it is also can be stretched to accommodate heterosexual relations.