Description
Set in ancient Athens, Symposium follows a group of philosophers attending a banquet and indulging in banter, squaring off in a friendly battle of speeches. Plato included Socrates as one of the characters, which is thought to be a criticism of Socrates and his philosophy as against the previous belief that it is a fitting tribute to his teacher. However, multiple traditional views of this book suggest the latter to be true.
Considered one of Plato’s most impactful works, Symposium was showered with heavy praise for the style of writing and philosophy. The men in this philosophical text are required to sing praises to Eros, the god of love, desire, and valour. While the book was written in dialogue form – a literary technique that Plato used in many of his works – he seems to have been lenient with its usage, especially since Socrates had a different approach to the topic at hand in this storyline.
Symposium is viewed as a work of great importance in the philosophical tradition. It laid the foundation of the idea of ‘Platonic Love’ – one that transcends desire and sexual gratification. This particular edition of the book has been translated by Benjamin Jowett, who was a famed administrator, tutor, theologian, and reformer of his own times, and went on to translate many of Plato’s dialogues from ancient Greek into English.
Author's Description
Plato (428/27–348/47 bce)
Plato was an Athenian philosopher from the Classical Period in Ancient Greece. He grew up during the Peloponnesian War (431–404 bce), and came of age around the time of Athens' final defeat and the turmoil that followed. He was a close associate of the great Greek philosopher Socrates, who is considered to be the founder of Western philosophy; he was later condemned to death. The Socratic method of dialogue and debate are extensively found in Plato's works. He wrote approximately 35 dialogues with Socrates as a character in order to bring out the ideas and beliefs of his teacher. Two of his notable works are Apologia, which recounts Socrates' trial, and Phaedo, a dialogue that chronicles the conversations on the day that Socrates was put to death.
Following the execution of Socrates, Plato travelled to Egypt, Sicily, and Italy. He studied and contributed to philosophy, mathematics, and science. Upon his return to Athens, he founded the Academy—the first institution of higher learning in the West. The institute focused on research around philosophy and science. One of the famous students at Plato's Academy was Aristotle, who went on to challenge some of Plato's views on literature and poetry.
Country Of Origin :- India
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