symposium   

say that love is the love of a father or the love of a mother-that

would be ridiculous; but to answer as you would, if I asked is a

father a father of something? to which you would find no difficulty in

replying, of a son or daughter: and the answer would be right.

Very true, said Agathon.

And you would say the same of a mother?

He assented.

Yet let me ask you one more question in order to illustrate my

meaning: Is not a brother to be regarded essentially as a brother of

something?

Certainly, he replied.

That is, of a brother or sister?

Yes, he said.

And now, said Socrates, I will ask about Love:-Is Love of

something or of nothing?

Of something, surely, he replied.

Keep in mind what this is, and tell me what I want to know-whether

Love desires that of which love is.

Yes, surely.

And does he possess, or does he not possess, that which he loves and

desires?

Probably not, I should say.

Nay, replied Socrates, I would have you consider whether

"necessarily" is not rather the word. The inference that he who

desires something is in want of something, and that he who desires

nothing is in want of nothing, is in my judgment, Agathon absolutely

and necessarily true. What do you think?

I agree with you, said Agathon.

Very good. Would he who is great, desire to be great, or he who is

strong, desire to be strong?

That would be inconsistent with our previous admissions.

True. For he who is anything cannot want to be that which he is?