platos symposium Flashcards
Where was Plato born?
Athens
What were Plato’s dates?
427 BC - 347 BC
What is the Symposium?
Drinking party in Athens 416 BC
What does Phaedrus call love?
Love is the path to virtue, the oldest of gods
What love is Phaedrus speaking of?
Love in homoerotic relationships between an erastes + eromanos
Who is the erastes + eromanos?
Erastes is adult male
Eromanos is prepubescent boy
What does Phaedrus say people in relationships are driven to do?
Do well in front of each other - they don’t want to appear weak
What example does Phaedrus give?
In an army, lovers would rather die in front of each other than give up + show cowardice
What does Pausanias split love to?
Pandemian Eros
Uranian Eros
What is Pandemian Eros?
Common love - physical
What is Uranian Eros?
Heavenly love - love of the intellect
What does Pausanias say about Pandemian Eros?
Desire for women as well as boys
How does Pausanias describe women?
“The most unintelligent people imaginable”
What does Eryximachus say about love?
More scientific, love is a human manifestation of a universal phenomenon
Where does Eryximachus say love can be found?
Love can be found in the heavens + throughout nature
What does Eryximachus say love produces?
Love produces harmony in many different aspects of life
What story does Aristophanes tell?
Origins of love
What does Waterfield say about Plato + love?
We may be attracted to beauty but our real goal is happiness
What is Aristophanes’ story?
Humans were spheres w 2 arms, faces, legs etc + there were 3 genders: female, male + androgynous
They grew in power + Zeus feared this so he split them in half
What does Aristophanes say the split of humans led to?
Humans are deprived of their other halves so roam the land searching for their missing partner
Females found females, males find males + androgynous find the opposite genders
What does Agathon say about love?
Love is young, beautiful etc
Love is desired bc it is beautiful
Who taught Socrates about love?
Diotima - an ‘expert’ on love
How did Diotima encourage to see love?
Love is neither ugly or attractive, divine or mortal
Love occupies a middle ground
What did Diotima tell Socrates love is the child of?
Love is the child of poverty + resource
What does Diotima tell Socrates love is because of its birth?
Love has elements of poverty + resource
He is poor + homeless; but a resourceful hunter who lays traps for the beautiful
What does Diotima say love searches for?
Love searches for the beauty it lacks; not just physically but goodness + truth
What does Alcibiades call love?
Love is the embodiment of Socrates himself
What does Alcibiades say Socrates has?
Socrates has knowledge + virtue _ bravery
How is Common/Pandemian love characterised?
“They love women as well as boys”
“Attracted to bodies rather than minds”
“They don’t care whether desires are prop satisfied or not”
How is Heavently/Uranian love characterised?
“Wholly male”
“Don’t have affairs w boys who are younger than the age at which intelligence starts forming”
What does Aristophanes say ppl SHOULD do for love?
Ppl would’ve built vast temples + altars in Love’s honour if they realised how powerful it was
What does Aristophanes say ppl ACC do for love?
Instead, he (love) gets none of this since theres no God who looks out for mankind’s interest more than love
What does Diotima say all humans are? What does this mean?
All humans are pregnant (have the capacity to create) in body + soul
What does Diotima say is not possible?
It’s not possible to procreate in what is ugly, bc procreating is in itself divine
Why is procreation immortal?
It will last forever in legacy etc
What does Diotima say about animals?
Animals will fight + die for their offspring bc everything mortal strives towards immortality
Having offspring live after you’re death is a form of immortality
Where does Diotima say we see desire for immortality in humans?
Desire for kleos - men go to extremes + risk lives to win glory so they’re remembered after death
What does Diotima say about those pregnant in the soul?
More concerned w things appropriate for the soul to conceive + give birth to; mainly wisdom
What does Diotima say happens to ppl at a certain age if they’re pregnant in soul?
They’ll search for beautiful souls/bodies to procreate w; contact w beauty gives them completion
