Philosophy means "love of wisdom" (philo-sophia). But what is this love? It is eros—not merely romantic love, but the passionate drive toward what is beautiful and good.

Eros begins with the love of beautiful bodies, but it can be educated. It rises from physical beauty to the beauty of souls, then to the beauty of knowledge, and finally to Beauty itself—the eternal, unchanging Form of the Beautiful.

The philosopher is not wise—that would be presumptuous. The philosopher is a lover of wisdom, always seeking, never fully possessing. This seeking is driven by eros. We are drawn toward truth as a lover is drawn toward the beloved.

This is why philosophy is a way of life, not merely an academic exercise. It is the erotic pursuit of what is most real and most beautiful.