There is a useful discussion of love in the Phaedrus in chapter 7 of Martha Nussbaum’s The Fragility of Goodness. In Socrates’ first speech in the Phaedrus, ero ¯ s is assigned to the non-rational part. It is a special form of madness, which is contrasted to self-control (so ¯ phrosune ¯ ) and insight (nous). In the second speech, ero ¯ s is the inspired madness of the person who is reminded of the form of beauty, growing from a passionate love between two people with a philosophical soul. Erotic love can make people lovers of beauty by making them aware of good and beaut y as those aspects of reality which deeply affect them, an