Ah, a non-political posting... er... at least 'non-political' in the sense that it's not about the upcoming election o' change.
So last semester I wrote a paper on Eros as Ethics (post-metaphyscial bio-transcendentalism as originary foundations). And in working on my dissertation prospectus this semester - which was tentatively on proto-existentialism in Marx and the influence of this line of thought on Heideggerian Marixism as articulated by Herbert Marcuse and Hans Jonas - I'm now thinking of returning to the Greeks and Platonic thought as the keystone which will connect what would otherwise be somewhat discordant ideas. At any rate, the myth of the origin of love as recounted by Aristophanes in Symposium holds a special interest for me as that it indicates the potential for harmony (wholeness) in a time when political theory is so concerned with difference. Hence, I'm beginning to realize that 'agreement' may be the chief referent which unites Heideggerian Dasein, Marx's Species Being, Jonas' metabolism, and Marcuse's Great Refusal (along with Gadamerian Play, Aristotelian Virtue, amongst others). Though the connections obviously require elucidation, I suspect there is an inherent human dynamism which seeks 'closure' through overcoming. This dialectic thus leads to the new. The Real is always one step ahead of us, because we create it.
Anyway, for those of you unfamiliar with Symposium, I encourage you to take the time and explore one of Plato's most rich and rewarding dialogues. In the meantime, here's a nice little clip from the movie Hedwig and the Angry Inch, where they sing a catchy song about the myth I mention here. Please enjoy, and as always, feel free to comment (though no one ever does... you bunch of slackers!)
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