Phaedrus: 231a-234c Summary & Analysis

Phaedrus reads Lysias’s speech to Socrates. Lysias begins by claiming that he will not “fail to achieve the things I ask for because I happen not to be in love with you.” He explains that, while those who are in love often later repent of “services” rendered, those who aren’t in love do not, because they act according to their own choosing, not under the “compulsion” of love. Furthermore, Lysias argues, someone who promises great things to a lover, elevating him above all others, will eventually fall in love with somebody else and neglect him in turn.

Lysias continues that it’s unreasonable to agree to sex with someone who’s in the “unfortunate” condition of being in love—"for the ones who suffer it agree themselves that they are sick rather than in their right mind,” and when they come to their senses, they disapprove of how they themselves have acted. Further, it’s better not to limit oneself to those who are in love; outside that limited subset, one has a better chance of finding a man “worthy of your affection.”

Lysias points out that men in love will likely boast about their conquests, while those not in love are more likely to be discreet. Lovers, too, are more likely to take needless offense at things and become quarrelsome, and they tend to be jealous. Lovers sometimes come to dislike their boyfriends after their passion is spent; when a sexual encounter is based on friendship, however, friendship is more likely to outlast sex.

It seems to make sense, Lysias says, to grant favors to those who need them the most, because they’ll be most grateful. But he argues that it’s actually more fitting to grant favors to those who’ll be in a position to pay you back someday, and to those who aren’t simply interested in your youthful beauty, but in sharing their advantages with you. His speech trails off soon after.