针对《理想国》中洞穴隐喻提出的核心问题——哲学家何以进入政治生活，目前主要存在两种解读：“强制论”与“说服论”。然而，“强制论”导致城邦正义与个体幸福之间的矛盾，从而使柏拉图的正义理论不能自洽；而“说服论”既未充分论证哲学家统治城邦的必然性，其所依赖的“说服”理由也与哲学家自身的追求相矛盾。这两种解释都不能充分说明哲学家为何要进入政治生活。“爱欲”为哲学家参与政治生活提供了一个新的解释模式。它是哲人重返洞穴的内在动力，也是他们从事政治活动的根本原因。通过爱欲，哲学家能够将对理想的追求转化为实际的政治行动，从而使城邦的正义与个体的幸福达成一致。

There are two main interpretations of the central question posed by the cave metaphor in The Republic — how philosophers can enter political life: the "coercion theory" and the "persuasion theory". However, the "coercion theory" leads to a contradiction between the justice of the city-state and the happiness of the individual, thus making Plato's theory of justice not self-consistent. The "persuasion theory", on the other hand, does not adequately argue for the inevitability of the philosopher's rule over the city-state, and the "persuasive" reasons it relies on contradict the philosopher's own pursuits. Neither explanation adequately explains why philosophers should enter political life. "Eros" offers a new explanatory model for the philosopher's involvement in political life. It is the intrinsic motivation for philosophers to return to the cave and the fundamental reason why they engage in political activity. Through Eros, philosophers are able to transform the pursuit of ideals into political action, thus bringing the justice of the city-state into agreement with the happiness of the individual.