Story Summary
Explore Socrates at the Symposium, a classic dialogue on the nature of love, desire, and the ascent toward divine beauty within ancient Athenian philosophy.
In the heart of Athens, the poet Agathon hosted a grand banquet to celebrate his recent victory. The guests, including the philosopher Socrates and the comic playwright Aristophanes, agreed to spend the evening delivering speeches in praise of Eros, the god of Love. While others praised Love as a great deity or a force for social order, Socrates offered a different perspective. He recounted a lesson taught to him by a wise woman named Diotima. She had explained that Love is not a god, but a 'daimon'—a mediator between the human and the divine. Socrates described the 'Ladder of Love,' a process where a person begins by loving the beauty of a single body, then moves to appreciate the beauty in all bodies, then the beauty of souls, laws, and knowledge. Finally, the seeker reaches the highest rung: the contemplation of the Form of Beauty itself. As the night wore on and the wine flowed, the charismatic but drunken Alcibiades stumbled in, praising Socrates not for his looks, but for the 'golden' wisdom hidden within his humble exterior. The night ended with Socrates still awake, proving that the pursuit of truth is the most enduring form of passion.
The Moral
True love is a spiritual journey that leads the soul from the appreciation of physical beauty to the discovery of eternal truth and wisdom.
“Love is the birth in beauty, whether of body or soul.”
Fun Fact
The term 'Platonic Love' originates from this dialogue, though it originally referred to the shared pursuit of truth rather than just a non-romantic friendship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the moral of Socrates at the Symposium?
The moral is that true love should transcend physical attraction to become a pursuit of wisdom and eternal beauty. It teaches that our desires can be refined to lead the soul toward higher truths.
Who is Diotima in the Symposium?
Diotima of Mantinea is a priestess who Socrates claims taught him the 'philosophy of love.' She is the one who describes the Ladder of Love and the concept of Eros as a mediator.
What is the 'Ladder of Love'?
It is a metaphor for the spiritual journey where one's appreciation of beauty ascends from individual physical forms to the beauty of the soul, and ultimately to the eternal Form of Beauty.
Why does Alcibiades appear at the end?
Alcibiades enters as a drunken intruder to provide a contrast to the theoretical speeches. His praise of Socrates' character serves as a real-world example of the virtue discussed throughout the night.
What does Socrates believe about Eros?
Socrates argues that Eros (Love) is the child of Poverty and Resourcefulness. Therefore, Love is a constant seeking of what is good and beautiful, rather than being a perfect god itself.
How does the Symposium differ from other dialogues?
Unlike many Socratic dialogues that focus on ethics or justice, the Symposium is specifically centered on the nature of desire and the aesthetic experience of the divine.
