In person, Diotima supporters to own a multiple-action procedure of like, starting with what of males who have fascination with a form of gorgeous person
Diotima questioned Socrates regarding the like with regards to the same as those individuals by the and this Socrates interrogated Agathon. Love was neither immortal neither mortal, gorgeous neither ugly, but rather, pertains to lives as he experiences the object off their notice however, perishes as he doesn’t, centered on Diotima:
He acts as an interpreter and you may a style of communication between gods and you can people. The guy takes needs and you will offerings to your gods, and you can provides straight back directions and you can benefits in exchange. Consuming so it middle condition the guy takes on a vital role in the carrying the world with her… There’s no lead contact anywhere between goodness & child. The organization & communications between the two, waking or fast asleep, takes place using Eros. (202e-203a)
She shows you you to definitely Like ‘s the boy out of Financing and you may Impoverishment, and since of this, Love is actually beggarly, harsh, and you may a king off deceit who’s constantly scheming, and also well-balanced and you will resourceful. Love’s conception occurred in the birthday party off Aphrodite, predicated on Diotima. Because of where he had been created, Like will get an excellent fan and slave regarding Aphrodite, and does not match the standards is a jesus. Love becomes a lover regarding charm, which enjoys expertise since it is gorgeous. But really Diotima shows you one Like themselves is not sensitive and painful neither gorgeous on account of his parents, and is hard, shriveled and you will homeless rather: “Eros’ functions are the thing that you expect from a child off Financing and you will Impoverishment… they are constantly bad, and so from becoming silky and beautiful… he or she is hard, unkempt, barefoot, homeless. He sleeps on to the ground as opposed to a bed, lying-in doorways or in the brand new unlock roadway. He’s got his mom’s characteristics, and require are his constant companion.” (204d-e) Diotima decides to determine love complete as power to to obtain approximation to help you perpetuity due to procreation, as it is anywhere between wisdom and you can ignorance. Following this such as for example, the person will be love a guy to have standard beauty, then physical beauty, ethical charm, and finally attain 
the love of knowledge. This process is the source idea of platonic like, and you can Diotima’s viewpoints with the Like along with his conception motivates Socrates’ disagreement.
Diotima taught Socrates the art of love, which can be thought to many scholars to be his sensual professor of kinds
Brand new speeches of night come to a close towards the entrances out of Alcibiades, called the soldier away from chance in the cluster. Alcibiades comes into brand new party full of questions; inquiries including geared towards difficult earlier audio system. Alcibiades begins by asking if the eros is perhaps all a similar, and you will thinking how there is Higher and lower Aphrodite when the the every day life is sensual, centered on Socrates. Alcibiades argues one to real sexual relationships does not build someone special, because it’s a familiar density in neighborhood and you may sex is the one and only thing we share with all lifestyle animals. Whenever that finds out its sex, Alcibiades says, you aren’t falling up on a great miracle. One of the primary items Alcibiades expostulates is the fact eros is actually maybe not immortal, because appeal is out and certainly will perish. The new eros that doesn’t perish, Alcibiades states, ‘s the private definition of Large Aphrodite. Samples of this kind of eros are charm, the favorable and facts, since they are eternal. Alcibiades and raises the very thought of platonic like, using their rejection by the Socrates as an example: “We dropped resting, incase We woke up am I’d slept with Socrates all night, but little got taken place. It had been same as sleep with a person’s father or elder brother… I was humiliated but full of really love to possess Socrates’ profile- his discipline and you may self-discipline.” (219c-d) According to him one to Socrates will get establish himself as your companion, but to be careful in this case, since real love involves recreating a person’s tip an additional using communications, and therefore his fascination with Socrates is actually without having. Alcibiades, and Diotima, set up the development of platonic love.