Summary
"The Symposium" by Plato is a philosophical text depicting a series of speeches given at a banquet in Athens, where various prominent figures discuss the nature of love. The dialogue begins with an account of the events leading up to the symposium, setting the stage for the diverse perspectives on love that are presented. Phaedrus initiates the discussion by praising Love as one of the most ancient and honored gods, emphasizing its role in inspiring courage and virtue in individuals and armies. He argues that love instills a sense of shame at acting disgracefully and pride in acting well, essential qualities for leading a good life. Phaedrus illustrates his points with examples from mythology, such as Alcestis and Achilles, highlighting the sacrifices made in the name of love.
Pausanias then offers a more nuanced view, distinguishing between Common Love and Heavenly Love. Common Love, associated with the goddess Pandemic Aphrodite, is indiscriminate and focused on physical attraction, while Heavenly Love, linked to Uranian Aphrodite, is directed towards boys and emphasizes intellectual and spiritual connection. Pausanias argues that the conventions governing love affairs vary across cities, reflecting different political and social values. In Athens, he suggests, the complexities of these conventions aim to test the character of lovers and ensure that relationships are based on genuine virtue rather than mere physical desire or material gain. Eryximachus, a physician, broadens the scope of the discussion by extending the concept of love to the natural world, including medicine, music, and the seasons. He posits that love, in its harmonious form, promotes health, balance, and concord, while its disordered form leads to disease, discord, and destruction.
Aristophanes presents a mythical account of human origins, suggesting that humans were once double beings, either male-male, female-female, or male-female, who were split in two by Zeus. Love, in this view, is the desire to reunite with one's original other half, to restore wholeness and heal the wound in human nature. Aristophanes describes the different types of love based on these original genders: men attracted to women, women attracted to women, and men attracted to men. He emphasizes that the ultimate goal of love is to find one's true match and achieve a state of complete union. Agathon offers an eloquent and poetic eulogy of Love, portraying him as the youngest, most beautiful, and most virtuous of the gods. He argues that Love is responsible for all good things, including peace, harmony, and wisdom, and that he inspires creativity and excellence in various arts and crafts.
Socrates, however, challenges Agathon's view, leading to a profound philosophical exploration of love guided by his recollection of a conversation with Diotima, a wise woman from Mantinea. According to Diotima, Love is not a god but a spirit, an intermediary between gods and humans, born of Resource and Poverty. As such, Love is always in need, always striving for what he lacks. Diotima explains that the object of love is not beauty itself but reproduction and birth in beauty, both in body and in mind. She suggests that mortals seek immortality through procreation, while those pregnant in mind give birth to wisdom and virtue. Diotima describes a series of stages in the ascent of love, from the love of individual beautiful bodies to the love of beauty itself, leading to the ultimate vision of the Form of Beauty. This vision allows one to give birth to true virtue and attain immortality.
The symposium culminates with the unexpected arrival of Alcibiades, who delivers a passionate and somewhat drunken speech in praise of Socrates. Alcibiades compares Socrates to a Silenus statue, ugly on the outside but filled with divine beauty within. He recounts his failed attempts to seduce Socrates, highlighting Socrates's extraordinary self-control and his indifference to physical beauty and material wealth. Alcibiades also praises Socrates's courage and endurance in battle, as well as the profound impact of his words on those who listen to him. The dialogue ends abruptly with the intrusion of more revellers, leaving the philosophical questions raised unresolved and open for further reflection.