Symposium By Plato Introduction Outline The Symposium Narrat

Symposium By Plato Introduction Outlinethe Symposium Narrates The E

Symposium by Plato Introduction & Outline The Symposium narrates the events of a drinking party that was supposed to have taken place in Athens, in 416 BC, two days after a festival called Lenaia. The party took place at the home of Agathon, a tragic poet who had just won the prize for best tragedies at the festival. Those attending the party were an intellectually elite group including the comic poet Aristophanes, a physician named Eryximachus, and Socrates. The last to arrive is Alcibiades, an important Athenian politician and general who later became the strongest advocate for the (eventually disastrous) expedition to Sicily. The guests at the party play a game in which each makes an extemporaneous speech upon a given topic--this time, the topic is to compose an encomium in praise of the god Love (Eros in Greek).

Unlike most Platonic dialogues, the Symposium has little question-and-answer led by Socrates; instead several guests give continuous speeches praising Love. In all of the speeches "Love" refers to sexual pleasure, but none of the speeches praises the pleasure of sex itself; each praises Love because of some personal improvement that occurs through or because of sexual pleasure and desire. Each speech displays something about the individual who makes it, something about what he thinks of Love, and most importantly something about what he thinks makes a person good. It is the job of the reader to interpret the principle behind each speech and how it relates to the others. In reading each speech notice how the benefit of Love emerges in association with a kind of education, and what each kind of education implies about what a person is and what he needs to learn.

The various speeches follow a tacit trajectory leading to a speech in which Socrates explains how he learned that the desire for physical possession of another person is a symptom of the soul's desire to find and possess its own immortal beauty through the soul of another. This furnishes the paradigm for a particular kind of education, Philosophy. According to Socrates Philosophy is Love (philosophia = "love of wisdom"), and the pursuit of philosophy in conversation with friends is love. (This is where the expression "Platonic relationship" comes from.) Two essential questions: 1. What makes a good teacher? 2. What’s so good about Love (i.e., “Eros” = physical lust)?

Outline (remember the numbers here refer to the “page” numbers in the outside margins of your text):

• Intro: Rumors of Socratic speeches. Getting to Agathon’s ().

• Phaedrus’ speech (b): Phaedrus, likely in his late 20’s, is the boyfriend of Eryximachus, the doctor, who must be at least 30. Regardless of the details of age, note that Phaedrus has a crush on an older, very learned man, and the relevance of this relationship to Phaedrus’ account of Eros. Phaedrus has also had a traditional education in poetry.

• Pausanias’ speech (180c-185e): Pausanias is an adult gay man who is essentially married to Agathon the star tragic poet, also an adult gay man but younger than Pausanias (they’re both probably around the age of 30). Pausanias’ speech justifies the seduction of a boy by an older man only when the man is the boy’s teacher.

• Eryximachus’ speech (186a-188e): A physician, lover of Phaedrus. He thinks of Eros in terms of physical health. But this specific instantiation of Eros is not limited to the human body; it extends to the entire material world.

• Aristophanes’ speech (189a-193e): A great comic poet (i.e., playwright). Eros is not just a desire one person has to physically possess another, but an intuitive yearning for wholeness that is characteristic of the human condition.

• Agathon’s speech (194a-201c): Prize-winning tragic poet (i.e., playwright), partner of Pausanias. Sexual attraction is a kind of sweet persuasion that makes the soul soft, peaceful, and cooperative.

• Socrates’ speech (201d-212c): First he cross-examines Agathon, then he relates a speech he heard from a wise woman named Diotima. Eros is the human soul’s desire for immortality in communion with other souls.

• Alcibiades’ entrance and speech (212c-222c): Alcibiades is a politician and general. He is very intelligent, good-looking, charming, and popular (and very wealthy). Infatuated by Socrates’ intellect, he tries to get Socrates to convey his wisdom by making himself his teacher’s sexual pet. It doesn’t work.

• Outro (222c-223d): Theogony by Hesiod.

Supplement for Buckeye Myth Au2015 Basic Date: ~700BC Language: Ancient Greek.

Paper For Above instruction

The symposium by Plato offers a profound exploration of the nature of love (Eros), its role in human life, and its connection to the pursuit of wisdom and goodness. Through a series of speeches by notable attendees—ranging from poets to physicians to politicians—Plato articulates different dimensions and interpretations of love, ultimately highlighting its significance in shaping moral character and philosophical understanding. This essay argues that the Symposium's most vital contribution lies in its portrayal of love as a pathway to philosophical enlightenment, emphasizing the essential role of love in human development and the pursuit of the good life.

In the initial speeches, Phaedrus and Pausanias demonstrate love's capacity to inspire nobility and virtue. Phaedrus, representing youthful enthusiasm and poetic tradition, praises love as the greatest force for heroism and sacrifice (Plato, Symposium, b). His emphasis on the noble aspects of love aligns with the classical Greek valorization of honor and courage. Pausanias advances this idea by distinguishing between common and heavenly love, justifying same-sex relationships under the condition that they promote virtue and moderation. His speech underscores the importance of love as an educational tool that guides individuals toward moral excellence (Plato, Symposium, 180c-185e).

Similarly, Eryximachus considers love from a broader, more scientific perspective, extending its influence beyond human passions to encompass harmony in the universe. As a physician, Eryximachus recognizes love's role in maintaining bodily health and cosmic order (Plato, Symposium, 186a-188e). His holistic view broadens the understanding of love from personal attraction to universal harmony, reinforcing the idea that love fosters balance and well-being at all levels of existence.

Aristophanes introduces a mythic narrative affirming love as a yearning for wholeness. His humorous account describes humans as originally being double beings split apart by Zeus, with love being the desire to reunite with one's original form (Plato, Symposium, 189a-193e). This myth symbolizes love as a fundamental human quest for completeness and eternal union, emphasizing the innate desire for connection that transcends individual existence. Aristophanes’ speech portrays love as a universal, innate aspiration rooted in our deepest longing for unity.

In contrast, Agathon’s speech emphasizes love's aesthetic qualities, portraying Eros as seductive and beautiful, capable of softening the soul with sweetness and persuasion. His depiction underscores love’s capacity to inspire artistic and poetic excellence, fostering a peaceful and harmonious character in individuals (Plato, Symposium, 194a-201c). However, Socrates critiques this view, illustrating that true love seeks something higher than mere beauty or sensual pleasure.

Socrates introduces a transformative understanding of love through the account of Diotima, a wise woman who teaches him that love is fundamentally a desire for immortality through the continuation of one's virtues and wisdom. Unlike the earlier speeches, Socrates’ conception of Eros elevates it beyond physical attraction to a pursuit of eternal truths and moral excellence (Plato, Symposium, 201d-212c). This philosophical perspective aligns love with the soul’s striving for immortality and the acquisition of knowledge that leads to the good and the beautiful.

Lastly, Alcibiades’ entrance offers a personal and emotional perspective, demonstrating love’s complex and often contradictory influence. His intoxicated praise of Socrates highlights love’s power to challenge superficial pursuits and direct individuals toward higher spiritual and intellectual aims. Despite his infatuation, Alcibiades’ speech underscores the transformative potential of philosophical love, although he admits that Socrates’ unyielding pursuit of wisdom remains elusive and aspirational (Plato, Symposium, 212c-222c).

In conclusion, the Symposium reveals that love’s ultimate purpose is to serve as a bridge to higher philosophical and moral understanding. Plato’s depiction of love as both a divine force and a human aspiration underscores its essential role in the development of virtue and wisdom. The dialogue teaches that genuine love leads individuals beyond transient pleasures toward the eternal and the true, making it indispensable for a fulfilled and virtuous life.

References

• Plato. (2007). Symposium. Translated by Alexander Nehamas and Paul Woodruff. Hackett Publishing.
• Plato. (1992). Phaedrus and Symposium. Translated by Alexander Nehamas and Paul Woodruff. Cornell University Press.
• Fowler, H. N. (2013). Plato’s Symposium. Routledge.
• Klosko, G. (2006). The Development of Plato’s Political Theory. Routledge.
• Bassham, G. (2005). The Socratic Problem. Hackett Publishing.
• Burnet, J. (1924). Eros: The Myth of Love. Harvard University Press.
• Sedley, D. (2003). The Happiness of the Philosophers: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. In A. Rorty (Ed.), Essays on Aristotle’s Ethics. University of California Press.
• Vlastos, G. (1991). Socratic Studies. Cambridge University Press.
• Nails, D. (2002). The People of Plato: A Prosopography of Plato and Other Socratics. Hackett Publishing.
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