In this conversation, Professor Joshua Hochschild, a philosophy expert from Mount St. Mary’s University, dives into the complex nature of love through a Platonic lens. He examines the profound speeches in Plato's Symposium, revealing how love transcends mere physical attraction to reach divine beauty. Hochschild also discusses the impact of Catholic teachings on modern sexual ethics amidst contemporary hedonism, advocating for a deeper understanding of love that aligns with human dignity and spiritual fulfillment. It's a thought-provoking discourse on Eros, Agape, and moral choices in today’s world.
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insights INSIGHT
Body's Spousal Meaning
John Paul II's Theology of the Body teaches that the human body has a spousal meaning designed by God for communion with others.
The body is integral to our spiritual and divine calling, making bodily acts a language expressing truth and self-gift.
insights INSIGHT
Re-enchanting Sexual Ethics
Theology of the Body addresses both the need for rational argument and the need to rhetorically re-enchant the church's language on sex.
It frames the church's teaching as an appeal to noble desire, highlighting the inseparable unitive and procreative dimensions of sexual acts.
insights INSIGHT
Plato's Complex Eros
Plato's Symposium addresses eros as a powerful, irrational, and complex force, not merely sexual but deeply philosophical.
It acknowledges Greek pederasty’s social context while Socrates promotes chastity and a higher, selfless love.
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Reclaiming an Ordered Soul in the Age of Distraction
Joshua Hochschild
Christopher Blum
Alcibiades
Alcibiades
Plato
The Acting Person
The Acting Person
John Paul II
Mental Language
Mental Language
From Plato to William of Ockham
Claude Panaccio
Joshua Hochschild
Meredith K. Ziebart
The semantics of analogy
The semantics of analogy
Rereading Cajetan’s De Nominum Analogia
Joshua Hochschild
Phaedrus
Plato
Symposium
Plato
The Symposium is a philosophical dialogue written by Plato around 370 BCE. It depicts a friendly contest of extemporaneous speeches given by a group of notable Athenian men, including Socrates, Alcibiades, and Aristophanes, in praise of Eros, the god of love. The dialogue is structured as a series of speeches, each developing the ideas of the previous one, and culminates in Socrates' speech, which recounts his conversation with the wise woman Diotima. The work explores various aspects of love, including its benefits, its connection to philosophy, and its role in human happiness. The setting is a banquet at the house of the tragedian Agathon, where the men engage in drinking and conversation, leading to heartfelt and noble speeches about love[1][2][5].
How Far Can You Go?
How Far Can You Go?
David Lodge
While the specific plot details aren't provided, David Lodge's novels often explore the complexities of faith and relationships within academic settings. His works are known for their wit, satire, and insightful character studies. Lodge's novels frequently engage with contemporary social and religious issues, offering a blend of humor and intellectual depth. His writing style is characterized by its accessibility and engaging narrative voice. The book likely delves into the internal struggles of Catholic individuals grappling with the church's teachings.
Love and Responsibility
Karol; (Pope John Paul II) Wojtyla
Thy Neighbor's Wife
Gay Talese
Thy Neighbor's Wife is a thought-provoking exploration of American sexuality from the post-World War II era through the 1970s. The book delves into the lives of individuals who challenged traditional sexual norms, including those involved in the free love subculture and the adult film industry. Through personal experiences and interviews, Talese challenges societal norms and advocates for a more open approach to sexual diversity.
Protagoras
Protagoras
Benjamin Jowett
Plato
Man and Woman, He Created Them, A Theology of the Body
Man and Woman, He Created Them, A Theology of the Body
John Paul II
Theology of the Body, Human Love in the Divine Plan
Theology of the Body, Human Love in the Divine Plan
John Paul II
Lysus
Lysus
Plato
Prof. Joshua Hochschild compares Plato’s philosophical exploration of love in the Symposium with John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, analyzing how both traditions address the unity of eros and agape, the meaning of embodied love, and the enduring questions of sexual ethics in light of Humanae Vitae.
This lecture was given on February 18th, 2025, at The Basilica of Saint Mary’s Lyceum.
Joshua Hochschild is Professor of Philosophy at Mount St. Mary’s University, where he also served six years as the inaugural Dean of the College of Liberal Arts. His primary research is in medieval logic, metaphysics, and ethics, with broad interest in liberal education and the continuing relevance of the Catholic intellectual tradition. He is the author of The Semantics of Analogy: Rereading Cajetan’s De Nominum Analogia (2010), translator of Claude Panaccio’s Mental Language: From Plato to William of Ockham (2017), and co-author of A Mind at Peace: Reclaiming an Ordered Soul in the Age of Distraction (2017). His writing has appeared in First Things, Commonweal, Modern Age and the Wall Street Journal. For 2020-21 he served as President of the American Catholic Philosophical Association.
Keywords: Agape and Eros, Embodied Love, Humanae Vitae, Imago Dei, John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla, Personalist Philosophy, Plato’s Symposium, Sexual Ethics, Theology of the Body
The Thomistic Institute 
