The concept of the three loves: eros, philia and agape comes mainly from Plato's philosophy. Plato wrote about love in his book "The Banquet".
In his book Socrates, his master, arrives as a guest at a Banquet. In this reunion the guests are called to talk abut love, and that is where 7 speeches about love are given.
The first speech focuses primarily on eros love, the passionate love, the love of lovers and bodies among themselves.
Then the speeches rise to human virtue and the love of souls with each other, and this is where philia arises, Philia is the love that is born from the camaraderie and the equals among themselves.
Finally the speech of socrates appears, that by the story of Diotimia, agape is introduced, Agape is the love for the beauty and the good.
This form of love introduces us to the problem of education and ignorance. Somehow the purpose of philosophical education is to introduce men to this love, and it is here that Socrates makes us a judgment about ignorance, the ignorant people don't look for what they don't think they need. Agape it is the love that transcends human virtue and is directed towards the most sublime, this is the platonic love.
The bible focuses on the problem of love in another way. Jesus tells us about the spirit, and the spiritual love: the agape. The spiritual love, the agape, is a gift from God, a perfection. We can only attribute perfections to God.
In metaphysics, Aristotle explains that a perfection is something that cannot be improved or exceeded in its genre. Agape is the perfection of love. The agape is the love projected to the whole creation of God, the love to our neighbor, the animals, the love to the science and virtue.
Jesus asks for this love several times in the bible: "love your neighbor as yourself", Mark 12:31; "remain in my love", John 15:9. The commandments are summed up in this love.
Philia in the bible is describe as an intermediate state between good and evil, the love of the soul and the friends.
There is a text about philia and agape in the bible:
"Jesus said to Simon Peter: Simon, son of John, do you agape more than these? Yes, Lord, you know that I philia you", John 21:15-16.
For more information visit my profile, follow the link and download for free my ebook.
