Reflection Letter.
Eros, Socrates, and Alcibiades:Modern Western Interpretations of Love from Ancient
Greek Ones
Dear Evaluators
Reflecting on my portfolio, I feel that the essay "Eros, Socrates, and Alcibiades:
Essentially, the paper entitled “Modern Western Interpretations of Love from Ancient Greek
Ones” stands as the best evidence of all the described skills in writing. In this essay, different
views on love in the Ancient Greek context were considered, ‘pure’ Socratic love, a passion that
Alcibiades felt, and Homeric love. My argument was that when all of these views are surveyed
simultaneously, their combined content undermines the sophisticated view of Greek thinking
about love while also illustrating the continuous and/or shifting nature of the Greek sense of
love. I took this position because it afforded me a chance to explore the tension between the
philosophical and the personal and the constant appeals to culture.
The strongest argument I employed was Socrates’ “Ladder of Love” in Plato’s
Symposium. This framework revealed a logical progression from passion to a program of
improvement. I also used two characters, Achilles and Patroclus, in Homer's Iliad to illustrate the
role of loyalty and grief in heroic conduct in the epic. The relations between the manifestations
of love are connected with human motivations and cultural values, which supports my thesis. I
am incredibly proud of how I have sourced these texts and followed Konstan and others to
incorporate intellectual analysis of ethical development and social norms to supplement my
purposes.
This essay represents a significant shift from my past academic writing. Unlike my earlier
essays, which were primarily descriptive, this analysis required critical engagement with primary
texts and scholarly sources. The audience, purpose, and context demanded a deeper exploration
of abstract ideas and their historical evolution, which pushed me to synthesize complex
arguments. Additionally, the essay’s comparative nature required a structured approach to
Eros, Socrates, and Alcibiades:Modern Western Interpretations of Love from Ancient
Greek Ones
Dear Evaluators
Reflecting on my portfolio, I feel that the essay "Eros, Socrates, and Alcibiades:
Essentially, the paper entitled “Modern Western Interpretations of Love from Ancient Greek
Ones” stands as the best evidence of all the described skills in writing. In this essay, different
views on love in the Ancient Greek context were considered, ‘pure’ Socratic love, a passion that
Alcibiades felt, and Homeric love. My argument was that when all of these views are surveyed
simultaneously, their combined content undermines the sophisticated view of Greek thinking
about love while also illustrating the continuous and/or shifting nature of the Greek sense of
love. I took this position because it afforded me a chance to explore the tension between the
philosophical and the personal and the constant appeals to culture.
The strongest argument I employed was Socrates’ “Ladder of Love” in Plato’s
Symposium. This framework revealed a logical progression from passion to a program of
improvement. I also used two characters, Achilles and Patroclus, in Homer's Iliad to illustrate the
role of loyalty and grief in heroic conduct in the epic. The relations between the manifestations
of love are connected with human motivations and cultural values, which supports my thesis. I
am incredibly proud of how I have sourced these texts and followed Konstan and others to
incorporate intellectual analysis of ethical development and social norms to supplement my
purposes.
This essay represents a significant shift from my past academic writing. Unlike my earlier
essays, which were primarily descriptive, this analysis required critical engagement with primary
texts and scholarly sources. The audience, purpose, and context demanded a deeper exploration
of abstract ideas and their historical evolution, which pushed me to synthesize complex
arguments. Additionally, the essay’s comparative nature required a structured approach to
