Using the Rungs
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Diotima — τὰ ἐρωτικὰ ἰέναι ἢ ὑπʼ ἄλλου ἄγεσθαι, ἀρχόμενον ἀπὸ τῶνδε τῶν καλῶν ἐκείνου ἕνεκα τοῦ καλοῦ ἀεὶ ἐπανιέναι, ὥσπερ ἐπαναβασμοῖς χρώμενον, ἀπὸ ἑνὸς ἐπὶ δύο καὶ ἀπὸ δυοῖν ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ καλὰ σώματα, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν καλῶν σωμάτων ἐπὶ τὰ καλὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων ἐπὶ τὰ καλὰ μαθήματα, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν μαθημάτων ἐπʼ ἐκεῖνο τὸ μάθημα τελευτῆσαι, ὅ ἐστιν οὐκ ἄλλου ἢ αὐτοῦ ἐκείνου τοῦ καλοῦ μάθημα, καὶ γνῷ αὐτὸ τελευτῶν ὃ ἔστι
to go to love's matters, or to be led by another, beginning from these beautiful things here, for the sake of that Beauty ever to ascend, as if using steps: from one to two, and from two to all beautiful bodies, and from beautiful bodies to beautiful practices, and from practices to beautiful studies, and from studies to end at that lesson, which is of nothing else than that very Beauty itself, and know at last what Beauty itself is.
Diotima recapitulates the ladder. The right way to go to love's matters — or be led by another — is to begin from the beautiful things here and, for the sake of that Beauty, ever to ascend, as if using steps: from one beautiful body to two, from two to all; from beautiful bodies to beautiful practices; from practices to beautiful studies; and from studies to end at that one lesson which is of nothing but Beauty itself, so that at last one knows what Beauty itself is. Continued in 211d.
Two features are essential. First, every step is taken ekeinou heneka tou kalou, 'for the sake of that Beauty' — the Form is the goal drawing the whole ascent, present as aim from the first rung. Second, the ascent may be made oneself or 'led by another' (hyp' allou agesthai): the guide (Socrates, Diotima) is built into the method. The climax is cognitive as well as erotic — the lover moves beyond gazing and comes to know (gnōi … ho esti kalon) what Beauty itself is: love completed is knowledge of the Form. 211d will draw the human moral (this is the life worth living, and the vision surpasses gold, fine clothes, and beautiful boys), and 212a the ultimate reward: in touch with the true, one gives birth to true virtue, becomes dear to the gods, and, if any human can, immortal.
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