Transformations of Eros: An Odyssey from Platonic to Christian Eros

by Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyov

In this remarkable book, the great Russian philosopher Vladimir Solovyev guides his readers through an intellectual and spiritual journey from a Platonic to a Christian understanding of eros, from a partial to a complete understanding of love. As an introduction to Solovyev's work, and to his unique philosophy of Christian eros, this book is at once accessible and indispensable.

Genres: Philosophy, Religion, Theology

103 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyov (Russian: Владимир Сергеевич Соловьёв) was a Russian philosopher, theologian, poet, pamphleteer and literary critic, who played a significant role in the development of Russian philosophy and poetry at the end of the 19th century and in the spiritual renaissance of the early 20th century.

Reviews

[Michael Greer · Rating 5 out of 5]

We need to read Solovyov in all earnestness. Here is a thinker of the first order, unduly neglected and pushed aside by loudmouths who prefer to establish a road to success in earthly terms alone. The great value of Solovyov's work is to call attention to the important work of those blessed with an erotic nature to perform the work of transforming this life.

The basic misreading of eros is marked by the Playboy image, an image which, thank god is now disappearing from our culture. So we assign the work of eros as the victory over death and decay. The triumph of erotic love is the triumph over dissolution and the restoration of unity. Why be erotic? A silly question. There is only one answer: to make the beloved immortal.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the way Solovyev introduced the emergence of Greek philosophy, how he talks about the importance of the erotic in Plato's thought, and the Christian completion of it. But I'm not sure I agree with the last chapters, which I found unduly harsh against Plato. As Plato makes quite clear in his letter VII, he went back to Dionysius' court not with a utopian naiveté, but half-heartedly. Also, in his later writings, Plato emphasizes the power and importance of the gods and prayer, so I do not believe he was an example of someone working with the "sheer force of his human intellect alone". Regardless, I think the good in Solovyev's treatise far outweighs some reservations I might have about the ending. This was a joy to read.

[Alexander · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an odd book. The title is translated poorly (the Russian title seems to be "Plato's Life Drama") and the book is mainly concerned with Plato's conception of love as Solovyev sees this fitting into the biography of Plato's life and Solovyev's appreciation of the worthwhile seed of insight in that conception and criticism of what is lacking in it. To the extent that it presents a positive view of love, this occurs only in an extremely sketchy form. In terms of the book itself, I am divided between giving it *** and ****. The Plato scholarship is suspect at points, fitting for a book over a century old now from an era when serious Plato scholarship was still relatively undeveloped, but there are some rich and suggestive ideas in the book that are helpful for understanding some aspects of Plato as well as the nature and interaction of human love and the divine love.