Plato

Plato Some assumed that homosexuality alone is capable of satisfying “a man’s highest and noblest aspirations”. Whereas heterosexual love is placed at an inferior level, being described as only existing for carnal reasons; its ultimate purpose being procreation. There are differing views in these dialogues, Aristophanes contradicts his peers by treating heterosexuality at the same level as homosexuality, arguing that both are predestined. Aristophanes considered himself as the comic poet and he began his discourse as such. Yet as the speech continued, he professed to open another vein of discourse; he had a mind to praise Love in another way, unlike that of either Pausanias or Eryximachus. “Mankind”, he said, “judging by their neglect of him, have never at all understood the power of Love”. He argued that if they had understood him they would have built noble temples and altars, and offered solemn sacrifices in his honor. He sought to describe his power and wanted to teach the rest of the world what he was teaching at that moment. Aristophanes spoke first of the nature of man and what had become of it. He said that human nature had changed: The sexes were originally three in number; there was man, plato, love, aristophanes, man, one, socrates, half, speech, physical, need, nature, might, desire, another, two, mankind, level, homosexuality, himself, yet, woman, whole, union, thus, since, same, procreation, object, lovers, lost, each, discourse, described, continued, being, beauty, anecdote