Love is braver even than ares, god of war, since ares fell in love with aphrodite and was thus mastered by love. This video focuses on platos work, the symposium, and specifically on the speech made by pausanius. Symposium by plato sexuality in platos symposium and ancient greece buy study guide in ancient greece, male homosexual relationships were commonly. It focuses on his distinction between two different kinds of love or eros, an earthly, common. Symposium by plato the role of love in platos symposium anonymous college. Like aristophanes, plato accepts eros as a lower god and a god more intimately bound up in human nature. Phaedrus starts by pointing out that eros is the oldest of the gods, and that eros promotes virtue in people. One has but to compare postfreudian psychology s understanding of the drives with plato s discourse on human longing here in order to measure the distance between the ancient and modern orientations to reality. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. This page contains details about the nonfiction book symposium by plato published in 370 bc. Several of platos dialogs refer to socrates military service. In plato s ion socrates discusses with the titular character, a professional rhapsode who also lectures on homer, the question of whether the rhapsode, a performer of poetry, gives his performance on.
A translation by seth benardete with commentaries by. Socrates in the symposium, when alcibiades challenged him to drink two quarts of wine, could have done so or not as he chose, but the dinersout of horace s day had no such freedom. In my opinion, i am not unprepared for what you ask about. The symposium is a deft interweaving of different viewpoints and ideas about the nature of love as a response to beauty, a cosmic force, a motive for social action and as a means of ethical education. Plato s symposium this dialogue is unlike the others of plato, in as much as, socrates does not question the others in the dialectical fashion, except briefly. As well as a philosophical work, it is a fantastic piece of history and the scene of the party is so well presented that you really do get a sense of the social scene in ancient greece at the time. The symposium of xenophon, in which socrates describes himself as a pander. According to diotima, love is not a god at all, but is rather a spirit that mediates between people and the objects of their desire. Socrates contest with the poets in platos symposium jstor.
The symposium is a deft interweaving of different viewpoints and ideas about the nature of love as a response to beauty, a cosmic force or a path to goodness. The symposium is a philosophical text by plato dated c. Socrates and aristodemus go to a party given for agathon, since agathon has just won a contest for the performance of his tragedy. Instead the various speakers take turns, as it were, each offering what he knows from his own perspective and then socrates presents a view that can place the others within a grander.
For the ancient greeks, love was considered to be a god. Thus, it is natural to suppose that at least one of platos purposes in employing the character of the physician eryximachus in the symposium is to convey the import of his own understanding of medicine insofar as it. Platos feministic approach in symposium auws interpreting. With that said, plato was forced to direct love to something productive rather than restless and destructive. Firstly phaedrus says at the very start of his speech, love is a great god, plato, 178b which shows he thinks love to be male and throughout his speech he uses the. In this splendid collection, scott buchanan brings together the most important of platos dialogues, including protagoras, the symposium.
Plato symposium study guide, ancient sexuality and gender. Platos symposium is one of the most loved classics from the ancient world. Therefore, i have edited the pronouns and formatting for claritys sake. Symposium 4 fall 2006 6 how that beauty transcends to all other things, or as she puts it, the beauty of any one body is brother to the beauty of any other. But plato does not distinguish the eternal in man from the eternal in the world or in god.
Full text of plato s symposium see other formats plato symposium trans. The discovery of being, both published by the university of chicago press allan bloom was the john u. In the spirit of freshness, i will focus on one very important section, where socrates. On reading symposium for the first time, i thought plato was not a feminist. Sept 2014 10 mb this link contains a free pdf copy of platos symposium. Be sure to read the translation presented here, so that you do not rely on jowetts mediocre one in the. Eros is the oldest god, the source of the highest good. Heavenly and earthly love in platos symposium philosophy. The symposium by plato meet your next favorite book.
Symposium by plato sexuality in platos symposium and. Introduction to platos symposium the symposium tells the story of a drinking party in which the guests agree to put aside their desire for wine, women and music and deliver speeches in honor of eros, a word often translated as love but more aptly described as sexual desire or passionate love. The symposium is a deft interweaving of different viewpoints and ideas about the nature of love as. Symposium is central in platos philosophy, since it talks about love and ideas. Platos symposium is one of the best loved classics from the ancient world, a work of consummate beauty as both philosophy and as literature, most appropriate since the topic of this dialogue is the nature of love and includes much philosophizing on beauty. Once upon a time, there were three kinds of human beings. My god, the mind boggles with intricacies of grammar. It focuses on his distinction between two different kinds of. Symposium by plato, part of the internet classics archive. It may be platos point to suggest that when humankind talks about god, they are drawn towards creating that god in their own image. Platos attention to the craft of medicine, conceived of as a paradigmatic instance of expert knowledge that lesser fields should imitate, is evident throughout his work. Here is 1 an outline of the dialogue, followed by 2 a translation of the most important section from the symposium, plus 3 questions and 4 notes on the dialogue, and finally 5 a summary of nygrens christian critique of platos concept of eros.
Each human being was completely round, with four arms and fours. Platos symposium greek and latin texts with facing. The guests decide not to get drunk, but drinking a. In contrast, no philosopher is ignorant, because he believes he is already wise. These corrections should not be noticeable to the reader. The symposium by plato full audio book ancient greek. God is no philosopher, for it is wise to begin with. The marriage between character and thought bursts forth as the guests gather at agathons house to celebrate the success of his first tragedy. The symposium quotes by plato meet your next favorite book. The stucktogetherpeople myth aka aristophanes or platos creation myth, aka the hedwig myth.
Christopher gills translation retains all the drama and humour of. And the introduction admirably presents both basic. The hangover of platos symposium in the italian renaissance from bruni 1435 to castiglione 1528, diskin clay 16. Does plato s symposium seem to validate or to undercut foucault andor halperin in the matter of whether people generally have, most places and most times, understood sexuality more or less the same way. The symposium is a classic dialogue of plato s and is set during an ancient greek drinking party, with the discussion revolving around lovedesire. Christopher gill s translation retains all the drama and humour of the greek, bringing the historical figures to life. I have constructed, from part of nygrens famous book, agape and eros, the following table of contrasts. Feb 09, 20 on reading symposium for the first time, i thought plato was not a feminist. The symposium cannot therefore be regarded as a youthful work. First i will discuss the mysteries themselves and then i will turn to a discussion of socratesdiotima s speech, showing how knowledge of the mysteries can illuminate plato s meaning in the symposium. In platos ion socrates discusses with the titular character, a professional rhapsode who also lectures on homer, the question of whether the rhapsode, a performer of poetry, gives his performance on.
The men include the philosopher socrates, the general an d politic al figure alcibiades, and the comic playwright aristophanes. Love is neither wise nor beautiful, but is rather the desire for wisdom and beauty. He is willing to rest in the contemplation of the idea, which to him is the cause of all things rep. The dialogue is original in at least two ways in that it exposes the presupposi. This book is the 1255th greatest nonfiction book of all time as determined by. With wit and insight, they each present their ideas about lovefrom erixymachuss scientific naturalism to aristophanes comic fantasy. Platos symposium this dialogue is unlike the others of plato, in as much as, socrates does not question the others in the dialectical fashion, except briefly. Platos symposium and the traditions of ancient fiction, richard hunter 14.
Platos symposium is one of the most loved classics from the ancient world, a work of consummate beauty as both philosophy and as literature, most appropriate since the topic of this dialogue is the nature of love and includes much philosophizing on beauty. The discussion culminates in a radical challenge to conventional views by platos mentor, socrates, who advocates transcendence through spiritual love. In this splendid collection, scott buchanan brings together the most important of plato s dialogues, including protagoras, the symposium. Mostly, it s about how loving boys is great and everyone should do it. A new, beautifully laidout edition of the timeless masterpiece. Phaedrus begins by saying that love is one of the oldest of the gods, and the one that does the most to promote. Buchanan s learned and engaging introduction allows us to see plato both as a commentator on his society and as a shaper of the societies. The guests decide not to get drunk, but drinking a little and discuss about love. Following the birth of aphrodite, the other gods were having. Phaedrus speaks first, praising love as the oldest of all the gods and the one that does the most to promote virtue in people. In platos symposium, aristophanes delivers his speech in the form of a myth once upon a time, there were three kinds of human beings.
From the time of plotinus, in the 3rd century of the common era, down to the present day, platos symposium has exercised an enormous influence on european thought. In the spirit of freshness, i will focus on one very important section, where socrates relates the words of his teacher diotima on the. Platos narrative style switches point of view so frequently that it can be confusing for students newly approaching the dialogues. Socrates says he served in the athenian army during three campaigns. There is no criterion of the date of the symposium, except that which is furnished by the allusion to the division of arcadia after the destruction of mantinea. Similarly, it occupies a middle position in the field of knowledge. Apollodorus tells the story of a drinking party or symposium that occurs long ago. Nef distinguished service professor in the committee on social thought at the university of chicago and the author of several books, including the closing of. Among his many books are the argument of the action and platos laws. Socrates and aristodemus will attend a banquet at agathon, with aristophanes, appolodore, pausanias and eryximachus.
Quite a few comments have been posted about symposium. Plato did not subvert love in the way that phaedrus, pausanias, and eryximachus did because eros is not the oldest of the gods. Name binding sales rank lowest new lowest used published. It is the first major philosophical text on love in western literature. According to apollodorus, soon after aristodemus and socrates arrive at. On one level the book deals with the genealogy, nature and purpose of love, on another level the book deals with the topic of knowledge, specifically how does one know what one knows. Plato s symposium is a series of speeches on love given at a party in ancient greece. It depicts a friendly contest of extemporaneous speeches given by a group o f notab le men attending a banquet. Phaedo, and the republic, his monumental work of political philosophy. A model of the kind of text one needs for lecture courses.
Firstly phaedrus says at the very start of his speech, love is a great god, plato, 178b which shows he thinks love to be male and throughout his speech he uses the pronoun he for love which happens in almost each speech. The symposium raises the question of what love truly is and means. Seth benardete is professor of classics at new york university. This new edition brings together the english translation of the renowned plato scholar and translator, seth benardete, with two illuminating commentaries on it. Sept 2014 10 mb this link contains a free pdf copy of plato s symposium. First i will discuss the mysteries themselves and then i will turn to a discussion of socratesdiotimas speech, showing how knowledge of the mysteries can illuminate platos meaning in the symposium. Buchanans learned and engaging introduction allows us to see plato both as a commentator on his society and as a shaper of the societies. The myth written above is found in plato s symposium, in which there s a bunch of different dead greek dudes alive at the time of discussion talking about love. Agathon not only corrects phaedrus for saying that love is the oldest god. Nov 14, 2012 the symposium by plato full audio book ancient greek philosophy subscribe to greatest audio books. In platos symposium, aristophanes delivers his speech in the form of a myth. Socrates in the symposium, when alcibiades challenged him to drink two quarts of wine, could have done so or not as he chose, but the dinersout of horaces day had no such freedom. The men there talk and drink and then decide that each should give a speech in praise of the god, love.
Aristophanes addresses a duality in the context of love in platos the symposium. The symposium is a classic dialogue of platos and is set during an ancient greek drinking party, with the discussion revolving around lovedesire. Later views of the socrates of platos symposium, from m. Benardete apollodorus, in my own opinion, i am not unprepared for what you ask about. Full text of platos symposium see other formats plato symposium trans. In the symposium alcibiades describes socrates valour in the battles of potidaea and delium. The discussion culminates in a radical challenge to conventional views by plato s mentor, socrates, who advocates transcendence through spiritual love. Benardete s on plato s symposium and allan bloom s provocative essay, the ladder of love. The men include the philosopher socrates, the general and political figure alcibiades, and the comic playwright aristophanes. Love is wise since he is the inspiration for all other acts of wisdom.
The definition of love in plato s symposium by donald levy for anyone who wants to think philosophically about love, the only way to begin is to reflect on the problems first raised in plato s symposium. Life is filled with dualities and opposing figures. Oldest of the gods, in platos symposium oldest of the gods, in platos symposium is a 35 letter phrase starting with o and ending with crossword clues for oldest of the gods, in platos symposium. Phaedrus began by affirming that love is a mighty god, and wonderful among gods and men, but especially wonderful in his birth. Aug 27, 2015 this video focuses on plato s work, the symposium, and specifically on the speech made by pausanius. Platos symposium plato philosophy learn with flashcards, games, and more for free. The dramatic nature of platos dialogues is delightfully evident in the symposium. It depicts a friendly contest of extemporaneous speeches given by a group of notable men attending a banquet.
He speaks often of the master of the drinking, who was always appointed to dictate how much each man was to drink. The symposium by plato full audio book ancient greek philosophy subscribe to greatest audio books. No poet can be wise without love, nor could the gods or muses master their respective arts without love for those arts. Platos symposium and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle.
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