El banquete 5/5, Fedro 3/5. De cualquier modo, la exposición del mito del carro alado en el Fedro ya bien vale la leída. De El banquete, decir que es de las cosas más hermosas jamás escritas. El mito del ser humano dividido en dos mitades que expone Aristófanes, del cual surge la definición del amor como la búsqueda de la otra mitad, es sublime. Tan sublime que esa es una de las definiciones/teorías del amor más extendidas hasta nuestros días. Más de dos mil años de vigencia.

Written For School:

“Love is born into every human being; it calls back the halves of our original nature together; it tries to make one out of two and heal the wound of human nature.”
― Plato, The Symposium

Summary:
tThe Symposium and Phaedrus explore the concept of love in a simultaneously philosophical and unpretentiously honest way. In both translations Plato’s passion for exploring the topic and his reverence for his teacher Socrates. The Symposium follows a light-natured competition to give the best speech dedicated to the Greek god of love, Eros. The text explores the many definitions of love, the impact it can have on men, and the perils of less derivative definitions. Phaedrus is a dialogue between Socrates and Phaedrus, an Athenian aristocrat. The pervasive theme of love extends throughout the text, but their dialogue also explores the concept of reincarnation, the constructs of the human soul, and the art of rhetoric.

Author:

Plato is considered one of the most important figures of western philosophy. Taught by Socrates, he was able to contemplate complex ideas of politics and philosophy, a gift that he passed on to his student Aristotle. Not much is known about Plato’s early life, but we do know that he was born into a family of aristocrats with three siblings. He was said to be eager to learn and work hard in his studies, so he was likely trained by the most prestigious teachers of his time. Plato would go on to found The Academy just outside of Athens. In 375 BC Plato wrote and compiled his masterful Socratic dialogue entitled The Republic.

Observations:

The Symposium:
tThis is perhaps the best [and most natural] example of Plato using a Socratic Dialogue, a style he mastered throughout 35 works. The Symposium takes place at the dinner table in a friendly contest, thus, unlike a piece like The Republic, its conversations feel unforced and unpretentious. Each speaker provides a passionate speech dedicated to love, but as usual, Plato focuses the most on the words of Socrates. Unlike the other speakers, Socrates supposes that love is not a god, but instead a force between god and man that connects them and everything else in the universe.

Phaedrus:
tLike The Symposium, Phaedrus centers around a few speeches on the topic of love. The central characters are Socrates and the young Athenian aristocrat Phaedrus. Throughout the dialogue, the two have several disagreements that ultimately lead to constructive realizations. To me, the most striking part of this dialogue is the way Socrates changes his mind [while crossing the river] thanks to Phaedrus before giving another speech. Besides love, Phaedrus also discusses madness, the soul, the madness of love, and rhetorical devices. The most powerful [or at least iconic] section of Phaedrus is Plato’s “Chariot Allegory”. In this allegory, the charioteer [the driver] embodies intellect and the human mind. One horse represents man’s rational passions and the other represents irrational impulses. The charioteer’s job is to steer the two in the same direction without letting the swerve in different directions.

Conclusion:
tThe Symposium and Phaedrus are significant milestones in Greek philosophy and humanity’s understanding of love. Each offers equally valuable knowledge and insight that will leave the reader with a more diverse view on love as well as speech and Socratic dialogue. I would recommend these books to anyone with an interest in philosophy or morals and reasons for love.

Symposium - *****
Phaedrus - ****

Total: 4.5 *s

This book, containing 2 dialogues, is fundamental for understanding one of the most predominant western traditions concerning love and beauty. These books influenced the Neoplatonic views on ascension to the divine, on beauty, and on love; and, through the neoplatonists, the early and medieval christian theologians.

"I'm pretty much going to say whatever I need to say to get you to side with me that having an intimate relationship with a minor is okay....okay?"

My 5 stars are for the symposium only. The perfect read for Valentine’s Day!! Keep in mind what is “love” really? And who is right for you in sentiment?

A very illuminating book on the nature of love and making speeches, filled with elaborate allegories and dramatic elements. My favorite allegories were the charioteers and the original humans who were split in half. This book is the most enjoyable to read from what I read from Plato.

Okay, but hear me out:
A modern day, lesbian rewrite of Symposium???

I read this book in the hopes of learning more about how Plato’s mind works. Despite its difficult grammar–eighty pages feels like an eternity–it is immensely sustaining for both, my brain and soul. It narrates the account of seven renowned, I hesitate to use the adjective ‘wise,’ individuals who attended a banquet and contributed to the encomiums of love one by one. It gives us a distinct perspective on the origins of love, in general, any sort of love, including love between people of the same sex. This dialogue, which delves into the meaning of love using rhetorical and poetical methods, is most likely the origin of platonic love, making it the oldest literature I’ve ever read as it was written by Plato in c. 385-370 BC. I feel compelled to place this review into the right translation version because each translator may interpret the text differently. This book would be ideal for anyone who enjoys Greek gods and goddesses.

this is just about how everyone wants to fuck socrates

Fundamental

incredible writing, really makes you think