The Symposium.docx

The Symposium.docx

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TheSymposium

PlatoTheSymposium

OverallSummary

Characters

OverallAnalysisandThemes

ApollodorusrelatestoanunnamedcompanionastoryhelearnedfromAristodemusaboutasymposium,ordinner-party,giveninhonorofthetragedianAgathon.Socratesarrivesatthepartylate,ashewaslostinthoughtontheneighboringporch.Aftertheyhavefinishedeating,EryximachuspicksuponasuggestionofPhaedrus',thateachpersonshouldinturnmakeaspeechinpraiseofthegodofLove.

PhaedrusbeginsbysayingthatLoveisoneoftheoldestofthegods,andtheonethatdoesthemosttopromotevirtueinpeople.PausaniasfollowsPhaedrus,drawingadistinctionbetweenCommonLove,whichinvolvessimpleandmindlessdesire,andHeavenlyLove,whichalwaystakesplacebetweenamanandaboy.InthecaseofHeavenlyLove,theboy,orlovedone,sexuallygratifiestheman,orlover,inexchangeforeducationinwisdomandvirtue.AfterPausanias,Eryximachus,thedoctor,speaks,suggestingthatgoodLovepromotesmoderationandorderliness.Lovedoesnotrestrictitselftohumaninteraction,butcanbefoundinmusic,medicine,andmuchelsebesides.

ThenexttospeakisthecomicpoetAristophanes.Aristophanesdrawsanengagingmyththatsuggeststhatwewereoncealltwicethepeoplewearenow,butthatourthreattothegodspromptedZeustocutusinhalf.Eversince,wehavewanderedtheearthlookingforourotherhalfinordertorejoinwithitandbecomewhole.AgathonfollowsupAristophanes,andgivesarhetoricallyelaboratespeechthatidentifiesLoveasyoung,beautiful,sensitive,andwise.HealsoseesLoveasresponsibleforimplantingallthevirtuesinus.SocratesquestionsAgathon'sspeech,suggestingthatAgathonhasspokenabouttheobjectofLove,ratherthanLoveitself.

Inordertocorrecthim,SocratesrelateswhathewasoncetoldbyawisewomannamedDiotima.AccordingtoDiotima,Loveisnotagodatall,butisratheraspiritthatmediatesbetweenpeopleandtheobjectsoftheirdesire.Loveisneitherwisenorbeautiful,butisratherthedesireforwisdomandbeauty.Loveexpressesitselfthroughpregnancyandreproduction,eitherthroughthebodilykindofsexualLoveorthroughthesharingandreproductionofideas.Thegreatestknowledgeofall,sheconfides,isknowledgeoftheFormofBeauty,whichwemuststrivetoattain.

AttheendofSocrates'speech,Alcibiadesburstsin,falling-downdrunk,anddeliversaeulogytoSocrateshimself.InspiteofAlcibiades'bestefforts,hehasnevermanagedtoseduceSocratesasSocrateshasnointerestatallinphysicalpleasure.

SoonthepartydescendsintochaosanddrinkingandAristodemusfallsasleep.HeawakesthenextmorningtofindSocratesstillconversing.Wheneveryoneelsehasfinallyfallenasleep,Socratesgetsupandgoesabouthisdailybusinessasalways.

OverallAnalysisandThemes

OverallSummary

172a-177e

TheprominentplacetheSymposiumholdsinourcanoncomesasmuchasaresultofitsliterarymeritasitsphilosophicalmerit.WhileotherworksamongPlato'smiddle-perioddialogues,suchastheRepublicandthePhaedo,containmorephilosophicalmeat,morecloselyexaminingtheTheoryofFormsandintenselycross-examininginterlocutors,nonecanmatchthedramaticforceoftheSymposium.Itislivelyandentertaining,withsharpandwittycharacterizationthatgivesusvaluableinsightintothesociallifeofAthenianintellectualcircles.

Fromaphilosophicalstandpoint,theSymposiumisalsofarfrombankrupt.NotonlydoesitgiveussomeinsightintotheTheoryofFormsinDiotima'sdiscussionoftheFormofBeauty,butitalsogivesusanumberofvaryingperspectivesonlove.Significantly,weseePlatorejectingtheromanticizationofsexuallove,valuingaboveallanasexualandall-consumingpassionforwisdomandbeauty.Ultimately,heconcludes,thephilosopher'ssearchforwisdomisthemostvaluableofallpursuits.IntheSymposium,Platovaluesphilosophy,asexemplifiedbySocrates,overanumberofotherartswhicharegivenaspointsofcomparison:

medicine,asexemplifiedbyEryximachus,comedyasexemplifiedbyAristophanes,andtragedyasexemplifiedbyAgathon.

TheseriesofspeechesinpraiseofLovearenotsimplymeantasbeatingaroundthebushthatleadsuptothemainevent.TheymirrorDiotima'sdiscussionofthemysteries,whereshesuggeststhatonecanapproachthetruthonlythroughaslowandcarefulascent.Similarly,wecanseeeachspeech,withafewexceptions,ascomingcloserandclosertothetruth.ThissuggestionisreinforcedbythefactthatSocratesalludestoalltheforegoingspeechesinhisownspeech,asiftosuggestthathiswordscouldnotbespokenuntileveryoneelsehadsaidtheirpiece.Thisstaggeredapproachtotruthisalsoreflectedintheframingofthenarrative,wherebyweareonlyabletogainaccesstothisstorythroughaseriesofnarrativefilters.

WeshouldnotethatSocratesistheexemplaroftheloverofwisdomandtheloverofbeauty,butisneitherwisenorbeautifulhimself.Inthisway,hebestrepresentsLove,whichDiotimadescribesasamediatingspiritthatmovesbetweengodsandmen.Lovehimselfneverhasanything,butisalwaysdesirousofhappiness,beauty,andwisdom.ThesameistruewithSocrates.Thosewhofollowhisleadwillnotnecessarilyattainwisdom,butwillfindfulfillmentinalife-longpursuitofwisdom.ThestateofhavingattainedwisdomisrepresentedbyDiotima,notSocrates,andshespeaksthroughSocratesasagod-likeandunapproachablefigure.

ThereisalsosomediscussionastoexactlywhatisbeingdiscussedintheSymposium.TheGreekworderosleavesthematterambiguousastowhetherwearediscussingloveinthenormal,human,senseoftheword,orifwearediscussingdesireinamuchbroadersense.Thelaterspeechesinparticulartendtowardthisbroaderinterpretation.Diotimagiveswhatisperhapsasatisfactoryanswerbysuggestingthat,whileallkindsofdesiremightbeconsideredlove,wenormallyrestrictuseofthattermtooneparticularkindofdesire,thedesirethatexistsbetweentwohumanbeings.

Philosophyaside,however,theSymposiumstillmakesaterrificread.Aristophanes'mythisdelightful,Alcibiades'drunkenanticsareentertaining,andthewholenarrativeshimmerswithlife.Wealsogetaveryclearsenseofthedynamicsofsexualattractionandcourtship--bothmale-maleandmale-female--inancientAthens,andwearegivenabeautifulportraitofoneofthehigh-pointsoftheAthenianscene:

thesymposium.

172a-177e

N.B.:

TherearenonaturalbreaksinthetextasPlatowroteit,sothesenotesonthetexthavebeendividedartificially,sectionsbeginningorbreakingoffwhereanewthemeortopicisintroducedordropped.Becausepagenumbersmayvaryfromeditiontoedition,thesesectionshavebeendemarcatedaccordingtotheStephanusnumbers,thepagenumbersfromthe1578completeworkseditedbyHenriEstienne（"Stephanus"inLatin）.TheStephanusnumbersarethestandardpagereferencesinscholarlyworkonPlato,andmosteditionsofhisworkcontaintheStephanusnumbersalongthemargins.

Summary

ThedialogueopenswithApollodorusagreeingtotellanunnamedcompanionwhoisarichbusinessmanthefamousstoryofthepartyheldinhonorofAgathontocelebratethesuccessofhisfirsttragedy.ApollodorusretellstheaccounthegavetoGlaucon（Plato'shalf-brotherandmaininterlocutoroftheRepublic）whohadinturnheardofthepartyfromsomeother,lessreliablesource.GlauconhadthoughtApollodorushadbeeninattendance,butApollodoruspointsoutthatthepartytookplacemanyyearsago,whenheandGlauconwerejustchildren.ApollodorushadheardthestoryfromAristodemus,oneoftheguestsattheparty,andhadalsocheckedsomeofthefactswithSocrateshimself.

ThestorybeginswithAristodemusencounteringSocrates,whohasrecentlybathedandputonsandals--thingsherarelydoes.AristodemusinquiresastowhySocratesisalldressedup,andSocratesanswersthatheisgoingtodinneratAgathon's.Agathon'stragedywonhimfirstprizeattheLenaeanfestivalthepreviousday,andwhileSocratesshunnedthelargecrowdsofyesterday'scelebrations,hepromisedtojoinAgathontoday.SocratesinvitesAristodemustojoinhim,andwhileAristodemusisatfirsthesitantaboutdroppinginuninvited,Socratespersuadeshimthathemustcome.

AristodemusandSocratesheadofftowardAgathon'stogether,butSocrateskeepsfallingbehind,lostinthought.SocratesurgesAristodemustogoahead,sayinghewillcatchup.Asaresult,AristodemusarrivesatAgathon'swithoutSocratesandiswelcomedinalone.Agathonisdelightedtoseehim,sayingthathewaslookingforhimyesterdaysoastoinvitehim.AristodemusexplainsthathecameuponSocrates'invitation,andissurprisedtofindthatSocrateshasnotcaughtupwithhim.Agathonsendsoutaslavetofindhim,andtheslavereturns,reportingthatSocratesisstandingonaneighbor'sporchandwillnotcomein.Agathonorderstheslavetogoandfetchhimin,butAristodemusinsiststhatSocratesbeleftalone:

hewillcomeofhisownaccordwhenhehasfinishedthinking.

Aristodemusjoinstheotherguestsandtheybegineating.Amongthoseassembled,thereistheyoungPhaedrus,Agathon'slife-partnerPausanias,adoctornamedEryximachus,andthegreatcomicplaywrightAristophanes.ThemealishalfwayoverbythetimeSocratesfinallyappears.AgathonencouragesSocratestojoinhimonhiscouchsothathemayshareinthewisdomthatcametoSocratesontheneighboringporch.Socratesremarksthatifwisdomcouldflowfreelyfromthewisertothelesswise,SocratesshouldbetheonebenefitingfromsittingnearAgathon.Noting