Plato and philosophical truth as inspiration

One of Plato’s most famous dialogues is Phaedrus, where this thinker explores the nature of love, beauty and truth. Although philosophy is often considered a purely rational knowledge, in this work by Plato an attempt is made to point out that In philosophical truth, inspiration constitutes a central element.

One of the most influential thinkers in Western history, he left an impact on the world of philosophy, art, and literature. The basis of his doctrine is the idea that there is a world of eternal and immutable forms or ideas, which are more real than the physical world we see around us. Let’s get to know his approach.

Plato, love, inspiration and madness

One of the central themes of Platonism is love. In Phaedrus It begins by saying that lovers are possessed by the god of desire, Eros, and therefore act irrationally. The Greek word used to refer to this state is “mania,” notes an article in Eidos: Philosophy Magazine.

When the Greeks spoke of mania they could refer to a wide number of situations. Although in our language the term was associated with certain altered states of mind, for the Greeks its meaning was much broader. Both madness, divination and prophecies were considered a kind of mania.

At the beginning, it is stated that love is a type of madness that leads lovers to indulge in all kinds of vices intemperately. It should be noted that here reference is made to an asymmetrical relationship, where the lover loses his will and surrenders to the whims of the beloved. These types of ties were common in ancient Greece, between young men and adult men.

The four types of inspiration according to Plato

After listing different evils that lovers suffer in their condition, the dialogue takes an unexpected turn. Socrates, through whom Plato spoke in his works, warns that his speech could have offended the gods, since Eros, desire, is a god.

So, identifies several situations in which certain people act through divine inspiration or madness and seeks to defend lovers. For the Greeks, the gods constantly inhabited the world and were represented both in the forces of nature and in human passions and attributes.

In the dialogue, Socrates distinguishes between four kinds of inspiration or madness, each referring to different aspects of human experience, and associated with a certain god. In this way, an attempt is made to redefine the meaning and give a new value to the relationship of lovers. Let’s delve into the inspirations.

1. Prophetic inspiration

Prophetic inspiration is linked to the ability to receive knowledge and wisdom about future events and divine truths. Apollo, the Greek god of prophecy, is the symbol of this inspiration.

Those who are possessed by this madness or prophetic inspiration enter a state of trance or ecstasy in which they receive visions, revelations and messages of divine origin. The Greeks believed that Apollo granted these gifts and allowed them to communicate with the divine to transmit their messages.

2. Mystical inspiration

Mystical inspiration is connection with the transcendent and the numinous. Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstatic religious rituals, personifies this inspiration.

Those affected by this mystical madness They experience a transformation of consciousness and a fusion with the divine through practices such as dance, music, ecstasy and religious worship. This inspiration is characterized by the search for a deep spiritual union and a direct experience with the sacred.

3. Poetic inspiration

It is associated with creativity and artistic expression. The muses, nine Greek deities daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne, are considered sources of inspiration for poets and artists. Each muse has its specific domain, such as epic poetry, music, dance, comedy or tragedy.

Who are touched by this inspiration experience a state of intense creativity and talent, where they can channel and express beauty, truth and meaning through different artistic forms.

4. Erotic inspiration

Erotic inspiration is related to love and desire, both in its physical aspect and in its deepest and spiritual dimension. The god Eros personifies this inspiration.

Being influenced by this erotic madness you feel a burning desire and a passionate attraction towards another human being. According to Plato, Love is a transformative force that propels individuals toward beauty and virtue, leading to spiritual self-development. Here erotic is not synonymous with sexual, but with desire and attraction.

Plato’s philosophical truth as inspiration

The lovers, then, participate in eroticism, since Eros inspires their actions. According to Plato, the beauty that the lover sees reflected in his beloved is the earthly replica of that imperishable beauty of the world of ideas. This idea is framed in a certain worldview, where souls experience successive incarnations, in which they remember eternal truths.

In the same way, The philosopher is inspired by Eros, but his object of love is not another person but truth itself.. Whoever dedicates himself to philosophy must allow himself to be possessed by Eros, embody the madness of the loved ones, but in the search for knowledge.

The soul of the philosopher inclines insistently towards divine matters; He is in love with the truth and is seen as crazy by those who observe him and do not understand his relationship with what he loves.

Plato and his philosophical truth in our era

Plato’s philosophical truth may seem strange to us in the 21st century, we must know how to interpret its meaning in the light of our era. The fact that the thinker is possessed by the god Eros implies that part of the knowledge is not accessed through rational means.

When we long for something with great impetus, passions operate in us that, with difficulty, are reducible to operations of reason. Knowledge and the search for truth imply a dedication similar to that which the lover makes for the beloved.

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