Quote of that Day by Socrates' teacher of love, Diotima of Mantinea: ‘Love is not a god at all, but is rather a spirit that …’ - the clever non-Athenian woman’s discreet take on desire

Love in its simplest meaning is often described as divine, perfect, and complete, something people either fall into or find. But one ancient philosophical voice challenged this comforting idea, arguing that love is not perfection itself but the restless pursuit of it. At a time when thinkers in ancient Greece debated the nature of beauty, wisdom, and human desire, a lesser-known female figure offered a bold interpretation: love is neither godly nor flawless but the force that drives people toward what they lack.

Socrates’ teacher Diotima of Mantinea on love and desire

In Symposium by Plato, seven speeches at an Athenian drinking party explore the meaning of love. When it is Socrates’ turn, he surprisingly claims he can “tell the truth” about love, unusual for a thinker known for famously uttering the paradox, “the only thing I know is that I do not know.”


How, then, can Socrates claim to know the truth about something as fundamental and all-encompassing as love? According to the dialogue, he does so because he learned it from someone else. Socrates describes his teacher of love as a “clever non-Athenian woman who had knowledge of this and many other things,” a description noted by Armand D’Angour, professor of Classics at Jesus College, University of Oxford. He names her as Diotima of Mantinea and presents her explanation of love to his audience.

Quote of the Day by Diotima of Mantinea: “Love is not a god at all, but is rather a spirit that mediates between people and the objects of their desire. Love is neither wise nor beautiful, but is rather the desire for wisdom and beauty.”

Meaning of the Quote by Diotima of Mantinea

Goodreads quoted the original line from Plato's Symposium as "According to Diotima, Love is not a god at all, but is rather a spirit that mediates between people and the objects of their desire. Love is neither wise nor beautiful, but is rather the desire for wisdom and beauty.”

In its one interpretation, love is not something perfect in itself. Instead, it exists in the space between what people have and what they want. By defining love as desire, Diotima suggests that it is the force pushing individuals toward wisdom, beauty, and growth. Love, in this view, is not about possessing perfection but striving for it.

This interpretation also highlights that love thrives on aspiration. When people admire knowledge, beauty, or goodness, love becomes the motivation to move closer to those ideals. Rather than being static, love is dynamic, a process of seeking, learning, and evolving.

Who was Diotima of Mantinea?

Diotima of Mantinea is described in Symposium as a Greek priestess and philosopher. She is said to have instructed Socrates about the philosophy of love. According to the dialogue, she performed sacrificial acts in Athens to help fight a plague and explained that Eros symbolizes human striving for perfection.

Her concept portrays love as the birth of the beautiful, both spiritually and physically. However, her historical existence remains debated. Diotima appears only in Plato’s dialogue, and no contemporary sources confirm her life. Many scholars therefore see her as Plato’s philosophical voice used to express ideas about transcendent love.