Term Paper on "Religious Eroticism"

Quoted Instructions for "Religious Eroticism" Assignment:

Consider the selections we have read from Plato, De Rougemont, Bataille, and Siegel. Then, write a 3 to 5 page essay answering the following question: What is “religious eroticism,” and how is it based on or independent of human sexuality? In other words, by this point you have read several points of view that argue for a mystical dimension to eroticism. Now, however, it is time for you to take a stand on to what extent this type of eroticism has anything to do with sex as humans generally experience it. Are the erotic ideals put forward in these texts possible in a human context? How much of these ideal are “literary” as oppose to “actual” experiences? For this paper, you must use Plato, though you don’t have to use him as a “focus text”; in addition you must use two of the other three *****s.

It is not required to answer all

(1) Consider Diotima’s advice to Socrates on how to be an ideal lover. How does the erotic ideal she depicts intersect with actual human possibilities for living?

(2) Consider Alcibiades’ point of view at the end of the Symposium? Do you think he is right in his critique of “Platonic love”? Does his position depend on another type of ideal?

(3) Consider De Rougemont’s idea that modern marriage is doomed to consist in frustration because it confuses the erotic and agapic impulses. Do you agree? Either way, you should explore the extent to which his idea of mystical eroticism, in your opinion, can be experienced in this world.

(4) Consider Bataille’s idea of the connection between eroticism and death. Do you think Bataille is being equivocal in his use of the term “death?” Either way, do you think what he means by “death” is something that can be sustained in human experience?

(5) Consider Siegel’s characterization of the Krishna tradition as being based on an idealized (literary) view of passion? How does this tradition try to work this type of ideal passion into the devotional life of its adherents? How can this type of passion be sustained in ordinary human life?

My notes

PLATOS IDEAS

*Plato’s Symposium;

- Agathon- limits of pleasure

- Eryximachus- we should think of love as a God

- Phaedrus- love is actually a God; love is what actually structure our life; love is the

Structure of society, is so strong that it could guide us in life.

- Pausanias- thinking of love as a God can be difficult, misleading.

* Eyximachus was a doctor that treated people, to see if their body was in Harmony.

* Love can be thought as Harmony.

* Anstophanes: passion

- The root of passion is suffering.

- Love always involves a desire of what is lacking.

* Zeus split us into half; we are looking for our other half.

* Love is a lack and we are looking for our other half.

* We are looking for wholeness.

* Ideal lover is a person that has a proper education.

* Socrates- Love must be love of something, something that we do not have.

* Love is the recognition of not being fully developed.

* Human-------love------God. Love is a Daemon (something in between).

* What love lacks is beauty. What love lacks is Good

* Love involves a lack, (not necessary beauty or Good).

* Lovers want to grow, to get what they want; they are inspired to be a better person.

* Diotima- Socrates got hook up with her when he was young.

* Socrates asked her: Aren’t we just looking for our other half’s? She said; no, we are looking for survival, is not about wholeness.

* Love has to be pure desire

* Love has to be a Black whole; it can’t be beautiful or ugly.

* Love is nothing in it of it self, love is purely a lack.

* If you get what u want, the whole meaning of love ends.

* Platonic Love

* Ideal Love

(1) Ideal lover begins with the Body- the body is a symbol of particularity, you have to fall in love with a person. True love begins with the love of human body, but also with the love of single body. According to Diotima when you fall in love with a body you realize that they are beautiful.

(2) Beauty of a body is akin to the beauty of another body.

(3) Looking for a beauty that is general in form

* We are looking for goodness; train yourself to not be attained to that person.

* Plato is saying that you need to be able to see love beyond a particular beauty.

DENIS DE ROUGEMONT IDEAS

*Freud approach- mysticism is purely sexual impulse (drive)

* Passion- the lover is always suffering being away from the beloved.

*Triston Myth – the story of a lover—he is the lover of Iseult. She is already marry (illicit love). There is no solution, they can’t be happy together, but they can’t get out of love because they are in love. They don’t have sex because they have integrity. They are Heroes, they are afraid that what they have is going to be polluted. They decided to become monks; living alone and thinking of God. But they are not thinking of God, they are thinking of each other.

*Cathors—against marriage- it will make u think about a lot of stuff. Not let u concentrate in God.

--- Everything in this world is a trick, u have to wait for the next world.

• Two types of Love: Eros and Agape

• Eros love is unattainable (physical), it is associated with passion, and it is union.

• Agape love is attainable, it is associated with marriage, and it is communion.

• Passion and marriage has nothing to do with each other.

• Tow people are together to help each other in life.

• Agape love is love of communion.

• Erotic means total union.

• When you are not with your mate, you have to see them as your husband/wife.

• Agape love means honoring a commitment in this world.

• In Eros love you are happy when you are thinking of the ideal love.

• Lovers are always alone; because he is hiding form some women.

• Eros is not physical

• Happiness is somewhat controllable.

• We want to have romantic relationship because we want experiences of love.

• Having sex is not what is erotic.

• Mysticism is not a sexual thing, sex derives from mysticism.

BATAILLE IDEAS

• Sex = Death

• Le petitmart—orgasm- Climax- coming- loss of self

• Climax a point where there is nothing left to persuade.

• Continuity( Eros) and Discontinuity (individuality)

• Continuity is the basic impulse for sex.

• We don’t want too much continuity we don’t want to lose ourselves

• Love is a solution after creating another problem.

• Transcendence

• What we feel is trying to get us to have kids.

• Why do we search for erotic pleasures that have nothing to do with procreation.

• Fascination- having an experience where we don’t have to do all the work

• Nakedness- is anti erotic- what is erotic is what we don’t see.

• Mystical eroticism is different form worldly eroticism.

• Eroticism in this world functions out of boredom.

LEE SIEGEL IDEAS

* Krishna- religious tradition based on the cultivation of emotions to the Gods.

* Immortality is equated to a never-ending desire to the Gods.

* Tristant and Iseult went t o separate forest to do penance.

* Tristant and Iseult did not love one another

* Eroticism and asceticism are connected.

* The Desire is not the goal; it is the fulfillment of it.

* Eroticism is a desire for more desire.

* Sex is something that you miss—that will increase desire, desire for more.

* Separation goes on and on.

* Separation from your lover is what makes passion.

* Folk-Ballads

* Maya is attach to sexuality

* Sexuality as an illusion (impermanent).

* Connection with sexuality and impermanent is a problem, it gives u the illusion that you can get what u want.

* Passion: Hope and Fear