Symposium

Introduction: Apollodorus's Account

The dialogue begins with Apollodorus recounting to an unnamed companion a story about a symposium (drinking party) that took place many years ago. He explains that he heard the account from Aristodemus, who was present, and has since verified details with Socrates himself. The setting is the house of the tragedian Agathon, who is celebrating his victory in a dramatic competition. The guests, including Phaedrus, Pausanias, Eryximachus, Aristophanes, and Socrates, decide to forgo heavy drinking and instead deliver speeches in praise of Love (Eros), as suggested by Eryximachus. This introductory section establishes the narrative frame and the central theme of the evening.

Phaedrus's Speech: Love as an Ancient God

Phaedrus, the instigator of the idea, delivers the first speech. He argues that Love is one of the oldest and most revered gods, a source of the greatest good for humanity. He emphasizes that Love inspires courage, honor, and self-sacrifice, particularly in lovers. He cites examples such as Alcestis, who died for her husband Admetus, and Achilles, who avenged Patroclus, as demonstrations of Love's power to motivate noble deeds. For Phaedrus, an army composed entirely of lovers and their beloveds would be invincible, as each would strive for honor and avoid shame in the eyes of the other.

Pausanias's Speech: Common and Heavenly Love

Pausanias follows Phaedrus, distinguishing between two kinds of Love: Common Love (Pandemian Eros) and Heavenly Love (Uranian Eros). Common Love is base, indiscriminate, and focused on physical gratification, appealing to both sexes and lacking discrimination in its objects. Heavenly Love, however, is noble, directed towards the male, and aims at intellectual and moral improvement. He argues that the pursuit of wisdom and virtue through a relationship with an older, wiser lover is the true form of Love, contrasting it with the vulgar pursuit of mere physical pleasure. He also discusses the social conventions and laws surrounding pederasty in Athens and other cities.

Eryximachus's Speech: Love as a Cosmic Force

Eryximachus, a physician, presents a scientific and cosmic view of Love. He expands Pausanias's distinction, arguing that Love is not just a human emotion but a universal principle of harmony and balance found throughout nature. He sees Love as the force that brings opposites together in medicine (health and sickness), music (harmony and discord), and the seasons (wet and dry). For Eryximachus, the physician's art is to discern and promote the 'good' Love that creates balance and order, while avoiding the 'bad' Love that leads to imbalance and disease. He views Love as a fundamental force governing all things, from the human body to the cosmos.

Aristophanes's Speech: The Myth of the Original Humans

Aristophanes, the comic poet, delivers a humorous and poignant myth. He explains that originally, humans were spherical beings with two faces, four arms, and four legs, existing in three sexes: male, female, and hermaphrodite. These powerful beings attempted to assault the gods, leading Zeus to split them in two as punishment. Since then, each half has been perpetually searching for its lost other half, driven by a deep longing for completeness. This desire for reunion, Aristophanes argues, is what we call Love. He suggests that when two halves find each other, they experience profound joy and a desire to merge completely, which is the true essence of Eros.

Agathon's Speech: Praising Love's Beauty and Virtues

Agathon, the host and tragedian, delivers a highly rhetorical and poetic speech, praising Love as the youngest, most beautiful, and most delicate of the gods. He argues that Love avoids old age and ugliness, dwelling only in the softest and most beautiful places. Agathon attributes all virtues—justice, temperance, courage, and wisdom—to Love, claiming that Love is the source of all good things among gods and men. He describes Love as the creator of poetry, art, and all forms of human excellence, inspiring beauty and harmony in every aspect of life. His speech is met with great applause for its eloquence and style.

Socrates's Speech: Diotima's Ladder of Love

Socrates, after questioning Agathon's definition of Love, recounts a conversation he once had with Diotima of Mantinea, a wise priestess. Diotima taught him that Love is not a god but a 'spirit' (daimon) that mediates between gods and mortals, a child of Resource (Poros) and Poverty (Penia). Love is a desire for beauty and goodness, and ultimately, for immortality. She explains the 'Ladder of Love,' a progression from loving a single beautiful body, to all beautiful bodies, to beautiful souls, to beautiful customs and laws, to beautiful knowledge, and finally, to the apprehension of absolute Beauty itself—the Form of Beauty. This ascent leads to true wisdom and virtue.

Alcibiades's Interruption and Praise of Socrates

Just as Socrates finishes, Alcibiades, drunk and boisterous, crashes the party. He declares that he will praise Socrates, not Love. He describes Socrates's unique character, comparing him to Silenus figures and satyrs, outwardly ugly but inwardly full of divine wisdom and virtue. Alcibiades recounts several personal anecdotes illustrating Socrates's extraordinary self-control, courage in battle, intellectual prowess, and ability to resist all temptations, including Alcibiades's own attempts to seduce him. He expresses his frustration and admiration for Socrates, who constantly challenges him to improve himself, revealing Socrates as the embodiment of true philosophical Love.

Conclusion: The End of the Symposium

As Alcibiades finishes, more revelers burst into the house, leading to general drunkenness and chaos. Most of the guests fall asleep, but Socrates continues to converse with Agathon and Aristophanes, arguing that a skilled tragedian should also be a skilled comedian, and vice-versa. Eventually, Agathon and Aristophanes also fall asleep. Socrates, having outlasted everyone, rises at dawn, bathes, and goes about his usual day, demonstrating his remarkable endurance and philosophical discipline. The dialogue ends with Apollodorus reaffirming the story's authenticity and Socrates's unique character.

Plato's "Symposium" is a philosophical text set during a banquet in ancient Athens, where prominent figures engage in discussions about love (Eros). The dialogue features various speeches that explore the nature, purpose, and significance of love, examining its role in human life and society, culminating in Socrates' recounting of Diotima's teachings on the ladder of love, which leads from physical attraction to the love of wisdom and the divine.

Key characters include Socrates, Aristophanes, and Alcibiades, each offering unique perspectives on love. Themes of beauty, desire, and the pursuit of truth are central, illustrating the interplay between personal relationships and philosophical inquiry. The interactions highlight the dynamics of friendship, desire, and the quest for immortality through legacy and knowledge.

The Symposium serves as a critical exploration of the complexities of love, revealing deeper meanings about human connection and the philosophical journey toward unde...