Phaedrus Essay

When Plato was writing Phaedrus he strategically wrote inspiring speakers arguing one who speaks noble and well must know the truth about the subject he is going to discuss. Likewise, Plato did not forgot about the responsibility of an audience. “According to reflections inaugurated by the Theuth and Thamus myth, the written word is not the most suitable vehicle for communicating truth, because it cannot answer questions put to it; it simply repeats itself when queried; it tends to substitute the

Phaedrus, an aristocrat, takes the stage first at the symposium. He explains that Erōs is one of the primordial gods, and that the love between a boy and a lover is the greatest love that exists. The lover is meant to guide the boy, and the two must lead each other to examine themselves and feel ashamed. “...[The boy] is especially ashamed before his lover when he is caught in something shameful” (Sym. 178E). Phaedrus later adds that “...Love is...the most powerful in helping men gain virtue and

A quick Google search on the term romantic love will pop up many definitions like emotional or sexual connection. Phaedrus would define romantic as the most honorable thing any lover would do, which is sacrificing yourself for the sake of the beloved. It does seem to be a bit extreme to think that romantic love is the ultimate sacrifice, but plenty of people go to war to fight for their loved ones and country and many times lose their life. His speech would also consider love natural, since the urge

In Plato’s, Phaedrus, Plato describes what has become known as the Tripartite Soul which describes the human soul as having three parts corresponding to the three classes of society in a just city. Individual justice consists in maintaining these three parts in the correct power relationships, which reason ruling, spirit aiding reason, and appetite obeying. In ‘A Study of Human Nature’ Plato tries to explain his Tripartite theory by ways of a parable, a vivid illustration which describes the soul

Bui Ngo Thanh Truc (Tessa) The Potential of Persuasion in Phaedrus and Life of Demosthenes Persuasion is an essential skill for rhetoricians. Since all a rhetorician needs is not the truth but his own opinion, persuasion is necessary to address the assembly. While persuasion could be used to lead a city to making the right decisions and gaining glory, the power of persuasion could be also abused or used by the wrong person. Demosthenes uses his rhetorical skills to push Athens away from its course

Rhetoric, Paideia and the Phaedrus ABSTRACT: Some of the notorious interpretive puzzles of the Phaedrus arise from reading it in terms of a static version of mimesis; hence, the concerns about its apparent failure to enact its own norms and the status of its own self-commentaries. However, if the dialogue is read in the light of the more dynamic model of a perfectionist paideia — that is, Plato’s portrayal of Socrates as attempting to woo Phaedrus to philosophy (with only partial success) is

looking deeper into the readings I realize several interesting points. In the dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus we see an outgoing conversational tone. This is an example of the “Socratic Dialogue” or oral speaking which is a form of writing but in a more in depth oral speaking situation. We see how Socrates is trying to make Phaedrus think by asking questions back to back and providing Phaedrus with tales that he thinks are made up by Socrates. What I got from reading this piece of writing was that

The Phaedrus is a dialogue written by Plato about love and its effects on the soul. Briefly he writes about the mortality of written works explaining that they lose their immortality as soon as they are written. Through reading the Phaedrus and coming to my own conclusion and then comparing Plato’s conclusion and my own, I discovered that Plato is right, words are not immortal without their authors to explain them or support them and that we will always wonder at the meaning of their work without

philosophers different style and way of thinking within their speeches. All philosophers have agreed to drink while each other is speaking, but there is no pressure from one another or one’s self to drink excessively. The first to kick off the speeches is Phaedrus, an idealist, who believes that being shamed upon who you love most is of the highest caliber of embarrassment, even compared to relatives

Socrates is referring to “going beyond” human reason. In the Phaedrus, Plato says, “There are two kinds of madness; one is produced by human infirmity, the other by a divine release from the ordinary ways of men.” Aristotle says that plants have a nutritive soul, while animals have a sensitive soul and humans have a rational soul. Imagine a plant going beyond its nutritive soul into the realm of an animate or rational soul. For example, the Ents from Lord of The Rings, they are sensitive in that