Agathon Flashcards
Who is Agathon
- A young, now established tragedy-writer in Athens at the time, the host of the party
- He is a master of poetic composition and language, clearly showing in his speech
- One of the “last men standing” at the end of the night of drinking
- Younger lover of Pausanius
How is Love defined by Agathon - is it a god or some other being?
- Youngest of gods as well as being sensitive; he is also fluid in form
- Love’s nature is to loathe old age - he is a constant companion of young men, ignoring bodies or minds which have no bloom or whose bloom has faded
- Love is desired since love is beautiful!
- He dispenses mildness and dismisses wildness.
How is Love’s power described by Agathon? - 3 parts mentioned
- Goodness
- Wisdom
- Power
How is Love’s power described by Agathon? - Goodness
- Goodness - oppression and love are incompatible;
- everyone is happy to carry out Love’s commands;
- Love is in control of pleasure and desire.Not even Ares can withstand love!
How is Love’s power described by Agathon? - Wisdom
- Wisdom: Love is so skilled as a creative poet that he creates other poets
How is Love’s power described by Agathon? - Power
- Power: even the gods are spurred on by love of beauty - Athena learned weaving, Hephaestos discovered metalwork
What other key ideas are explored by Phaedrus?
- Consider here how Socrates ‘disproves’ Agathon’s key ideas with the argument of how we only desire things which we do not have - therefore love is surely ugly and desires beauty
What is Frisbee’s hot take on Agathon
- Sheffield thinks his view on beauty is at a surface level quite agreeable
- He presents quite polarising ideas - the relation between them is uclear
What is notable about Agathon’s style of encomium
- Agathon’s dazzling rhetoric is perhaps inidcative of Socrate’s & Plato’s distain for the sophists
- this poetic style sounds incredible but would be expected of a sophist
What was the cost of Plato’s education services
- Plato’s academia in Athens did not charge his participants
What is a sophist
- people who woulf train others in rhetoric & philosphy, for a price!
Agathon represents all that is…
- bad about philosophy
What pivotal moment does Agathon’s speech represent
- It is a transition encomium - gives was for Socrates’ elenchus (logical refutation)
What is Agathon’s thoughts on the dangers of love, pederastry & homo/heretosexuality, & attitudes to women
- He doesn’t have much to add here
- Love is sensitive - Love is sensitive and settles in the minds and characters of people with soft natures
Explain what is ment by Agathon saying love is sensitive
- Rather than settle in the hard parts of humans and gods, on the ground or in the skull, love settles in our minds and characters
- Further, Love will only settle in the minds and characters of those with soft natures, and will move on when he finds someone with a tough character
- That he can pass unnoticed in and out of our minds suggests further that the god is fluid
Give a scholar quote encapsulating Agathon’s style & ideas
- Agathon’s speech is a dazzling rhetorical performancel
- Agathon praises the virtues of Love in poetic style
- Love is young, soft, sweetly scented; he is also just, moderate, courageous and wise
- So love is desired since love is beautiful.’ (Waterfield)
