The german critics, to whom i refer, proceed chiefly on grounds of internal evidence. Speeches are given in direct discourse, but conversation among members of agathons party are retold in aristodemus words, reminding the reader of the layers of narration. The symposium is a philosophical text by plato dated c. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read symposium and the phaedrus, the. 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. The rhapsodes songstitchers were men who made a living by giving public recitations from the great epic poets. 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. Platos erotic dialogues edition 1 available in paperback. Plato presents his mentor in the symposium as a simple and hardy man, a bit of a flirt, though immune to sexual advances and alcohol alike. For instance, there is brief mention in the symposium of the theory of forms, which is entirely plato s. The dialogue is constructed as a report of several speeches about love that were presented at a dinner party given by the playwright agathon on the occasion of his. Yet the republic is just this manyheaded, polytonic, multilevelled, supercomplex piece of writing about the most important thing in life.
The dialogue is constructed as a report of several speeches about love that were presented at a dinner party given by the playwright agathon on the occasion of his winning first prize in a tragedy contest in athens. Platos dialogues are not only a memorial to socrates, but also the happier days of his own family. The republic is just overwhelming, and it is way too do. Symposium was written around 384 bc, and many would regard it as platos finest dialogue, from an artistic point of view, and the most enjoyable to read or listen to. Pdf the symposium book by plato free download 1 pages.
Apollodorus, who repeats to his companion the dialogue which he had heard from aristodemus, and had already once narrated to glaucon. The symposium is one example of platos dialogues that address the subject of love. I have summarized platos dialogs some much more than others using the collected dialogues bollingen series princeton university press 19611989, edited by edith hamilton and huntington cairns. Symposium was written around 384 bc, and many would regard it as plato s finest dialogue, from an artistic point of view, and the most enjoyable to read or listen to.
This audiobook contains platos most notable books, narrated brilliantly by kevin kollins. Many of them agree that the dialogues were written over many years and that they appear to have a slightly different tone, which reflects plato s intention in writing them. Plato is one of the few philosophers who also writes good literature. Plato s symposium is a series of speeches on love given at a party in ancient greece. Here is a complete audiobook of platos symposium, translated by benjamin jowett. In the symposium, several figures gather in an evening gathering that was commonly known as a symposium and give their views on the god of love. This superb collection contains excellent contemporary translations selected for their clarity and accessibility to today s reader, as well as an incisive introduction by erich segal, the unexamined. Symposium by plato, part of the internet classics archive. The symposium and the phaedrus platos erotic dialogues. 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. This audiobook contains plato s most notable books, narrated brilliantly by kevin kollins.
There are many reasons for this, including the keyhole glimpse it gives us of athenian society. Plato wrote the symposium about the ancient athenian cultural tradition in which men would drink, discuss philosophical subjects, compose speeches and sing songs. Socratess ancient words are still true, and the ideas sounded in platos dialogues still form the foundation of a thinking persons education. Persons of the dialogue apollodorus, who repeats to his companion the dialogue. Apr 17, 2017 cite platos the symposium in the bibliography by listing the author, title, translator, city, publisher, year of publication and medium. Platos erotic dialogues s u n y series in ancient greek philosophy. How are platos conclusions in the dialogue the symposium based on the ideas of sophocles. Each of the dialogues is covered with a short outline, a detailed outline including some greek text, and an interpretive essay. The symposium is the second most famous of all of platos diaglogues second only to the republic. Scholars have studied plato s many dialogues very carefully. This is one work that i would almost force everyone to read if i could. Further, in plato s middle and later dialogues, the figure of socrates no longer represents the man himself. The symposium by plato meet your next favorite book.
It depicts a friendly contest of extemporaneous speeches given by a group of notable men. Symposium translated by benjamin jowett 1871 the republic translated by benjamin jowett 1871 theaetetus translated by benjamin jowett 1871 parmenides translated by benjamin jowett 1871 late dialogues. Platos dialogues frequently treat several topics and show their connection to each other. Allen supplements his translation with a commentary that not only enriches our understanding of platos philosophy and the world of greek antiquity but also provides insights into presentday philosophical concerns. Oct 19, 2019 plato s inquiries were all the more resonant because he couched them in the form of dramatic and often highly comic dialogues, whose principal personage was the ironic, teasing, and relentlessly searching philosopher socrates. Free download or read online the symposium pdf epub book. Learn the important quotes in symposium and the chapters theyre from, including why theyre important and what they mean in the context of the book. Therefore, i have edited the pronouns and formatting for claritys sake. The introductions deal with the nature of the dialogues themselves as philosophical texts and with plato s philosophical assumptions and key concepts, as well as with the necessary background of athenian society. The text has been credited with influencing how western literature portrays and interprets love and beauty.
Allens translation and commentaries, a black book published as part of a series by yale university press. Symposium by plato introductory dialogue and the speech of. It depicts a friendly contest of extemporaneous speeches given by a group of notable men attending a banquet. The greek text of plato s dialogues composing the nine thrasyllian tetralogies see above, plus that of several of the spurious dialogues definitions, about justice, about virtue, demodocus, sisyphus, eryxias and axiochus, is published in critical edition in the five volumes of platonis opera in the oxford classical texts oct collection. Instead, the figure of socrates is used as a mouthpiece by which plato advances his own views. This is one work that i would almost force everyone to read if. The discussion of moral and philosophical problems between two or more characters in a dialogue is an illustration of one version of the socratic method. It is also the most lavishly literary of platos dialoguesa virtuoso prose performance in which the author, like a playful maestro, shows off an entire repertoire of characters, ideas, contrasting viewpoints, and iridescent styles. Dialogues of plato, volume 2 yale university press. Platos inquiries were all the more resonant because he couched them in the form of dramatic and often highly comic dialogues, whose principal personage was the ironic, teasing, and relentlessly searching philosopher socrates. In this splendid collection, scott buchanan brings together the most important of plato s dialogues, including. This superb collection contains excellent contemporary translations selected for their clarity and accessibility to todays reader, as well as an incisive introduction by erich segal, the unexamined. The fact that the philosopher in his maturity called himself platon is indisputable, but the origin of this name remains mysterious. Nor in what may be termed platos abridgement of the history of philosophy soph.
The elaborate structure distances the reader from the philosophical ideas in platos work. At once a historical document, a philosophical drama that enacts abstract ideas in an often lighthearted way, and a literary masterpiece, it has exerted an influence that goes well beyond the confines of philosophy. For an english language edition of plato s dialogues, consider cooper ed. For instance, there is brief mention in the symposium of the theory of forms, which is entirely platos. The works that have been transmitted to us through the middle ages under the name of plato consist in a set of 41 socalled dialogues plus a collection of letters and a book of definitions. The first four dialogues recount the trial execution of socratesthe extraordinary tragedy that changed platos life and so altered the course of western though. This isnt an exhaustive list of platos dialogues, but does cover the most widelyread ones. Scholars have studied platos many dialogues very carefully. The individual translators for quotations included are noted below. The dialogues of plato by plato meet your next favorite book. Also included among other things is an essay distinguishing platos idea of eudaimonia from our contemporary notion of happiness and brief descriptions of. In rouses pages, soctrates strength of mind, his dedication to the philosophical truth, are borne in on the modern reader with something of the power that. The main characters of this philosophy, classics story are socrates.
Platos symposium is an exceptionally multilayered dialogue. Socrates is renowned for his dialectic approach to knowledge often referred to as the socratic. This volume is an introduction to platos dialogues and. His wideranging commentary includes discussions of greek religious, social, and sexual practices, the conceptual connections between the symposium and freud, the influence of the symposium on. Platos dialogue, the symposium part 1 introduction to. In the spirit of freshness, i will focus on one very important section, where socrates relates the words of his teacher diotima on the. Socrates s ancient words are still true, and the ideas sounded in plato s dialogues still form the foundation of a thinking person s education. Rothschild s fiddle, on happiness, the apology, heart of darkness, conscience, genesis, alienated labour, social contract. Rothschilds fiddle, on happiness, the apology, heart of darkness, conscience, genesis, alienated labour, social contract. As plato matured, however, he developed an increasingly distinct voice and philosophical outlook. Jun 02, 2017 here is a complete audiobook of plato s symposium, translated by benjamin jowett. Allen reveals the unity of platos intentions in the symposium, explores the dialogues major themes, and links them with platos other dialogues. The symposium is one of the foundational documents of western culture and arguably the most profound analysis and celebration of love in the history of philosophy.
The first four dialogues recount the trial execution of socrates the extraordinary tragedy that changed plato s life and so altered the course of western though. Further, in platos middle and later dialogues, the figure of socrates no longer represents the man himself. The works contained in this audiobook include the republic, the apology, crito, and symposium. Enjoy these four amazing philosophical works that have stood the test of time. Allen reveals the unity of plato s intentions in thesymposium, explores the dialogue s major themes, and links them with plato s other dialogues.
It is preserved in the works of plato and xenophon. The later dialogues are deeper developments of the philosophy expressed in the earlier ones. Socrates s ancient words are still true, and the ideas sounded in platos dialogues still form the foundation of a thinking persons education. Plato, the greatest philosopher of ancient greece, was born in athens in 428 or 427 b. He attended socrates trial and that traumatic experience may have led to his attempt to design an ideal society. The apology, phaedo and crito of plato, the golden sayings of epictetus, the meditations of marcus aurelius. Jan 01, 2010 platos dialogues frequently treat several topics and show their connection to each other. The symposium is one of platos most accessible dialogues, an engrossing historical document as well as an entertaining literary masterpiece. In the symposium, plato values philosophy, as exemplified by socrates, over a number of other arts which are given as points of comparison. Phaedrus, pausanias, eryximachus, aristophanes, agathon, socrates, alcibiades, a troop of revellers. His wideranging commentary includes discussions of greek religious, social, and sexual practices, the conceptual connections between the symposium and freud, the influence of the symposium on later. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 1 pages and is available in paperback format. How are plato s conclusions in the dialogue the symposium based on the ideas of sophocles.
This volume is an introduction to platos dialogues and the ideas they explore, so serving as a readable account of his writing for the uninitiated. Quite a few comments have been posted about symposium. This isnt an exhaustive list of plato s dialogues, but does cover the most widelyread ones. In this splendid collection, scott buchanan brings together the most important of platos dialogues, including. The phaedrus is a model of that skill because of its seamless progression from examples of speeches about the nature of love to mythical visions of human nature and destiny to the essence of beauty and, finally, to a penetrating discussion of speaking. The endnotes clarify any ambiguities and obscurities in the original text, identifying all references to people, places, gods, et cetera. Indeed, scholars who find in them a progression of ideas set the dialogues in a temporal order. So dialogue plays a smaller role in the symposium than it does in platos other dialogues. 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. It is the first major philosophical text on love in western literature. Allens superb new translation of platos symposium brings this classic text to life for modern readers.
What is the best dialogue to start reading plato with. In these middle and late dialogues, of which the symposium is one, the figure of socrates serves more as a mouthpiece for platos own views. But it was already obvious in antiquity that not all of these were from platos own hand. In these middle and late dialogues, of which the symposium is one, the figure of socrates serves more as a mouthpiece for plato s own views.
Most of the dialogues not on this list can be read after the readings listed as introductory here. A fascinating discussion on sex, gender, and human instincts, as r. The symposium and the phaedrus platos erotic dialog. Some of these dialogues employ socrates as a character, but most simply employ the philosophical style similar to plato while substituting a different character to lead the discussion. He studied under socrates, who appears as a character in many of his dialogues. As apollodorus explains to his friend, he had recently retold it to glaucon, having heard it from aristodemus, one of the fellows at the dinner. Buy a cheap copy of great dialogues of plato book by plato. Allen reveals the unity of platos intentions in the. Other dialogues create a rich tableau of intellectual life in athens in the fourth century b. Boethius most famous book the consolation of philosophy is a socratic dialogue in which lady philosophy interrogates boethius. The question and answer section for symposium by plato is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel. The great books reading and discussion program first series, volume 1. Allen reveals the unity of platos intentions in thesymposium, explores the dialogues major themes, and links them with platos other dialogues.
Platos narrative style switches point of view so frequently that it can be confusing for students newly approaching the dialogues. The symposium, one of platos middleperiod dialogues, is generally considered to have been composed around 385380 b. Many of them agree that the dialogues were written over many years and that they appear to have a slightly different tone, which reflects platos intention in writing them. Allen reveals the unity of platos intentions in the symposium, explores the dialogue s major themes, and links them with platos other dialogues. Allens superb new translation of platossymposiumbrings this classic text to life for modern readers. In literature, love is often portrayed as an object of deep human concern. These corrections should not be noticeable to the reader. The symposium, one of plato s middleperiod dialogues, is generally considered to have been composed around 385380 b.
The symposium is considered a dialogue a form used by plato in more than thirty works but in fact, it is predominantly a series of essaylike speeches from differing points of view. The first edition of the novel was published in 385, and was written by plato. By uncovering the structural design of the dialogue, platos dialectic at play aims at revealing a plato for whom the dialogical form was not merely ornamentation or philosophical methodology but the essence of philosophical exploration. Platon is a nickname from the adjective platys broad.