Phaedrus - Part 1

The Phaedrus begins with Phaedrus, one of the speech-givers in the Symposium, presenting to Socrates a speech that argues that a boy give favors to a non-lover rather than to a lover because of the unwanted retributions that would occur by yielding to a lover. While enjoying the speech, Socrates gives a speech of his own on the same subject, presenting everything in a more organized and reasonable manner. However, Socrates realizes how impious these speeches have been and thus seeks to remedy the situation by giving a speech in praise of the lover.

Resting upon the fact that lovers are in a state of divine madness in response to seeing true Beauty, Socrates explains that the immortal soul of a man has seen all true things on a high plain while following the gods in procession but, being unable to control and curb its baser desires, falls to earth where it becomes incarnate in flesh. Depending on how much of the heavenly plain it saw determines what kind of person will result from that soul. Also, there are laws as to when the soul may return to the gods’ procession.

[Any] who have led their lives with justice will change to a better fate, and any who have led theirs with injustice, to a worse one. In fact, no soul returns to the place from which it came for ten thousand years, since its wings will not grow before them, except for the soul of a man who practices philosophy without guile or who loves boys philosophically. (248e-249a)

These are the fates of the souls while bound to a human form. It must wait ten thousand years while acting justly in all ways before it may once again return home.

I wonder though why a philosopher’s or lover’s soul is given a reprieve from the ten thousand year wait. It would seem fairer that if any kind of soul had lived its life justly for several consecutive lifetimes, it would be honored with the same privilege. However, it may be because the philosopher and lover reach something beyond what any other soul can. Both the philosopher and the lover pursue what is divine rather than what is human or earthly. While the philosopher pours all that he is into finding Wisdom and Truth, the lover gives up everything for Beauty. Neither can be found purely on earth so they look past the earthly and temporary to the divine and eternal. Only there do they find what satisfies their soul and, consequently, they are prepared sooner for their return ascent.