The Drinking Party Flashcards
What is the Symposium by Plato about?
A philosophical dialogue where several guests at a banquet give speeches in praise of Eros, the god of love.
What is the setting of The Drinking Party?
A banquet in Athens where prominent figures, including Socrates, Aristophanes, and Alcibiades, discuss the nature of love.
Who are the main speakers in The Drinking Party?
Phaedrus
Pausanias
Eryximachus
Aristophanes
Agathon
Socrates
Alcibiades
What does Phaedrus say about love in his speech?
Love is the oldest of the gods and inspires people to perform acts of great honor and courage.
How does Pausanias differentiate types of love?
He distinguishes between Common Love (physical attraction) and Heavenly Love (intellectual and virtuous connection).
What is Eryximachus’s perspective on love?
Love is a universal force present in everything—from medicine and music to the harmony of the cosmos.
What myth does Aristophanes present about love?
The myth of the original humans—creatures with two heads, four arms, and four legs—who were split in half by the gods, and love is the desire to find our “other half.”
What is Agathon’s view of love?
He praises love as the youngest, most beautiful, and virtuous of the gods, associated with wisdom, courage, and justice.
How does Socrates challenge the previous speeches?
He introduces Diotima’s theory of love, arguing that love is not a god but a “spirit” that mediates between gods and humans.
What is Diotima’s Ladder of Love according to Socrates?
A progression from physical attraction to one body → love for all bodies → love of souls → love of laws and knowledge → and ultimately, love of the Form of Beauty itself.
What does Socrates say is the ultimate goal of love?
To seek and contemplate the eternal, unchanging Form of Beauty, achieving philosophical wisdom and immortality through intellectual and spiritual connection.
Who is Alcibiades and what does he add to the dialogue?
A charismatic Athenian who crashes the party and delivers a comic, passionate speech praising Socrates, comparing him to a “mystical figure” immune to typical desires.
How does Alcibiades describe Socrates’ character?
As wise, self-disciplined, and indifferent to physical pleasures, yet capable of inspiring intense admiration and love.
What role does humor play in The Drinking Party?
It balances serious philosophical discussions with comic relief, especially through Aristophanes’ myth and Alcibiades’ drunken antics.
What is the significance of love in the Symposium?
Love is portrayed as a motivating force that drives people toward personal growth, virtue, and the pursuit of truth and beauty.
