Plato, Aquinas, Modern Life Insights

Good Friday invites us to reflect on the ultimate act of sacrificial love: Christ’s crucifixion, a selfless offering for humanity’s redemption. This profound act resonates with philosophical and theological ideals articulated by Plato and St. Thomas Aquinas, whose works provide timeless frameworks for understanding love’s sacrificial nature. By exploring their perspectives, we can discern how to embody sacrificial love in our modern world.

Plato’s Vision of Love as Ascent

In his Symposium, Plato presents love as a transformative force that elevates the soul toward the divine. Through the character of Socrates, Plato describes love as a ladder, ascending from physical attraction to a love of beauty itself, and ultimately to the contemplation of the Good. This ascent requires sacrifice—relinquishing personal desires for a higher purpose. Plato writes, “He who has been instructed thus far in the things of love… will suddenly perceive a nature of wondrous beauty” (Symposium, 210e).

Plato’s idea of sacrificing lower desires for a greater good aligns with the selflessness of Good Friday. Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross can be seen as the ultimate ascent, transcending earthly life for divine love. In our modern context, Plato’s philosophy challenges us to prioritize others’ well-being over personal gain. For example, volunteering time to help those in need—whether through community service or supporting a struggling friend—mirrors this ascent, moving us beyond self-interest toward a higher, communal good.

Aquinas: Love as Willing the Good of the Other

St. Thomas Aquinas, in his Summa Theologica, defines love as willing the good of the other for their own sake (Summa Theologica, I-II, Q. 26, A. 4). For Aquinas, true love is inherently sacrificial, as it demands placing another’s needs above one’s own. He argues that charity, the highest form of love, reflects God’s love for humanity, exemplified in Christ’s sacrifice. “The greatest love a man can have for his friend is to give his life for him” (Summa Contra Gentiles, IV, 55), Aquinas notes, echoing John 15:13.

Aquinas’ theology directly connects to Good Friday, where Christ’s death embodies this selfless charity. In today’s fast-paced, individualistic society, Aquinas’ call to love challenges us to act with intentional selflessness. Picture a single mother, exhausted from working two jobs, who stays up late sewing her daughter’s costume for a school play, ensuring her child feels loved and included. Or envision a nurse, enduring long shifts in a busy hospital, gently comforting patients separated from their families, despite physical and emotional exhaustion. These vivid acts reflect Aquinas’ vision of love as a deliberate choice to prioritize others, even at profound personal cost.

Living Sacrificial Love Today

The ideals of Plato and Aquinas converge in their emphasis on transcending self for a greater good, a principle vividly illustrated by Good Friday. In our modern world, sacrificial love can manifest in both grand and quiet ways. Sacrificial love is perhaps best expressed through sharing truth with kindness and compassion, emulating Jesus’ teachings and life’s work. Speaking truthfully to those we love, or even to a stranger, requires courage and selflessness, as it prioritizes their growth and well-being over our own comfort. For instance, gently addressing a friend’s harmful behavior with honesty and without judgment reflects Christ’s compassionate truth-telling. Similarly, small acts—like listening patiently to someone in distress or forgiving a wrong—embody the same selflessness, fostering trust and healing through truthful connection.

Technology, far from fostering sacrificial love, often undermines it by fueling narcissism and ego. Social media platforms, with their endless streams of curated selfies and performative posts, encourage self-obsession over genuine connection, reducing relationships to likes and followers. This digital veneer stifles the vulnerability and selflessness required for true love. Plato’s ascent calls us to reject this shallow culture, urging us to set aside screens and engage face-to-face, where authentic, sacrificial relationships can flourish. Aquinas’ charity demands we redirect our resources—time, skills, or wealth—from feeding our online personas to uplifting others, whether by mentoring youth or giving to those in need.

Conclusion

Good Friday’s message of sacrificial love, illuminated by Plato’s ascent to the Good and Aquinas’ charity, stands as a powerful antidote to the self-centered tendencies of our modern age. By embracing these ideals, we are called to reject the narcissism fostered by technology and instead cultivate relationships grounded in truth, compassion, and selflessness. This holy day challenges us to embody Christ’s sacrifice in our daily lives: to speak Truth with kindness, to listen with patience, and to give generously of ourselves, whether to a loved one, a friend or a stranger. In doing so, we not only honor the profound love displayed on the Cross but also breathe life into the timeless wisdom of Plato and Aquinas. Let us commit to a love that transforms hearts and communities, offering truth with a gentle hand, urging one another to rise and walk in the light of Christ’s mercy, “to go and sin no more”.