Inner Harmony and the Art of Medicine and Music

Eryximachus in Plato’s Symposium and a Doctor’s Cure for Love

Aug 26, 2009 Arash Farzaneh

Eryximachus provides a medical view of love in Plato's Symposium contrasting with the preceding philosophical views.

In Plato’s Symposium, the physician Eryximachus takes over the philosophical discussion at the wine-gathering at Agathon’s house after the speech by Pausanias.

Incidentally, he is only filling in as Aristophanes, the intended speaker, had come down with a case of hiccups. Eryximachus praises the first part of Pausanias’ speech, but states that he found its ending weak and lame in comparison.

The Art of Medicine and Searching for Balance within the Human Body

Eryximachus relies and builds on his own experience as a doctor, what he refers to as the "art of medicine." He claims that love is an important part of everything, as it encompasses human and divine things and affects all the bodies, even those of animals and all the other “productions on earth.”

However, as a doctor he realizes that the good and healthy parts or elements of a person should be encouraged and the bad and unhealthy ones should be eliminated as they would create imbalance and bring about dishonor.

As a result, medicine becomes indispensable because a good physician must know about the loves and desires of the body, how to separate the fair from foul love and how to eradicate and implant love. The trick would lie in having the knowledge and skill of combining and reconciling hostile elements in an individual to create a state of harmony.

The Comparison and Similarities of Medicine with the Art of Music

Eryximachus uses the analogy of music to illustrate his ideas about the perfect body and type of love. Music, in fact, manages to create harmony by reconciling differing notes of low and high pitch.

Harmony is not a state of discord, as Heracleitus would claim, but rather it can be defined as a “symphony of agreement.” Eryximachus believes that one cannot harmonize that which is in disagreement. He gives the example of rhythm where there are elements of short and long beats, but they are still united by the whole. Equally, medicine intends to create love and unison in a person’s body, adjusting each person’s rhythm and harmony to the principles of love.

The Two Sides of Love and the Relevance of Moderation

The art of a physician involves the regulation of gratifying healthy desires and of attending to and curing evil components and disease. He believes that there are two types of love; however his conception differs from the distinction made by Pausanias.

According to Eryximachus there is the fair and heavenly love, symbolized by the temperate and balanced Urania, and the vulgar Polyhymnia who manifests the pleasure principle. It is not a dichotomous matter of choosing a "good" versus a "bad" form; the ideal would be a harmonious combination of both aspects, that is to enjoy “vulgar” pleasure in its light and moderate form and not to give in completely to wantonness, which is something that would disturb the balance and harmony of the body.

Consequently, Eryximachus believes that love that is concerned with the good and is balanced by temperance and justice has the greatest power among humans and gods. It is considered the source of all happiness and would create peace and harmony among all citizens.

All in all, Eryximachus offers an explanation of love based on his own personal experience as a doctor, where the most important aspect would be finding equilibrium within one’s body; this harmony should then be a reflection of one’s thoughts and actions.

Sources:

Platon. Dialogos. Editorial Porrua: Mexico, 1998.

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Physician Treating a Patient