Plato Symposium Essay

kinds of love” (Plato, Symposium, p. 16). I believe that sentences summarize what Pausanias’ speech is about. I would agree with Pausanias’, I believe there are lust and agape love which Pausanias refers to as “common” and “heavenly” love. In my opinion, you either love someone for their physical appearance or you love someone for the person they are. Pausanias describes common love as something more vulgar and you feel attracted to “the body more than the soul” (Plato, Symposium, p. 16). I am also

Finding the Good Life in Symposium There are many different interpretations of what the good life truly is. Individualists believe that the good life is pleasing oneself, while utilitarians believe that the good life is acting for the good of the rest of society. Philosophers, too, have their own interpretation. Plato alludes to the philosopher's good life when he uses the phrase "my greatest pleasure." The inherent subjectivity of the word "my" tells the reader that philosophical conversation

In Plato’s Symposium, Eryximachus’ and Diotima-Socrates’ speeches might seem completely different at first sight, since the former “breaks away from the treatment of eros as an aspect of human sexuality”. (Dover 105) Upon closer reading, however, one would begin to see more and more connections between them. The passage on mantic art at the end of Eryximachus’ speech, in particular, contains ideas that are to be echoed and developed in Diotima-Socrates’ speech. This essay tries to give a reading

Love’s Contribution to Power in Inanna and Symposium The presence of love and power in intimate relationships is prominent in both the Inanna and the Symposium. Both texts contain examples of intimate relationships that lead to significant effects on the power of those in the relationship. The Inanna and the Symposium both illustrate that love is the greatest possible catalyst for the attainment of power. Love provides individuals with attributes that in turn increase their power. This is illustrated

The Symposium presents a philosophical discussion about love between specific historical individuals, including well-known Athenian poets and intellectuals, and the politician Alcibiades (introduction). Each person at the symposium needs to deliver a speech that represents his idea of love. At the end of The Symposium, Socrates expresses his sophisticated point of view by presenting a conversation he has with Diotima, an objective fictional character who represents his idea of love. By providing

A decree found from a deme, Aixone, give us insight into life and behavior of the demesmen back in ancient Greece. Some workings we know about the Aixone from this decree are that it was deme where the people worshiped the gods, actively appreciated the theater, and where choregoi gained acclamation. This decree reveals to us that this deme was one where the people worshiped and celebrated the gods. The theatrical or choral production that this decree is for, focuses around the festival Dionysia

One type of love that is brought up by many speakers in Plato’s Symposium is that of an older man, around thirty, and a much younger boy, around thirteen. This love is rare in today’s society, but all of the speakers present feel the need to defend this pederasty, proving the increased role that this love played in their society. Although this love was more common during the time of the Symposium, there are similar types of relationships still occurring. Not all of these modern relationships include

A fine line runs between a healthy, loving relationship, and a menial fling lacking the same respect and commitment crucial to a meaningful partnership that fulfills the needs of the soul. While all human desires are important aspect to address in a relationship, if the Greek ideals of Eros and Philia are at war with one another rather than integrated together in a balanced manner. A relationship described, without the balance between Eros and Philia, would not be one of romance, but instead one

In The Symposium Diotima’s speech on love it is the most important, therefore she should be the last speech to help impact the overall meaning. Although, she actually is not the last speech, Alcibiades is. This leads to questioning over why Alcibiades is at the end if the speech is just drunken madness. Diotima’s speech focuses on love and places important emphasis on the idea of beauty pertaining to love. She also focuses on the way a boy and a man’s relationship are centered around love because

Erotic Ascension and Stylistic Hoverance: The Symposium Body The initial sentence of the Symposium—“In fact, your question does not find me unprepared”—operates with an odd and mordant brevity. The close sandwiching of “in fact” and “does not” is a performative linkage of qualifiers that, in consideration of later text, functions as stylistic foreshadowing—what might be read as subtle mockery of the dialogic form (in that the sentence responds to an unknown provocatory referent) also hesitantly establishes