What is the meaning of Plato's dialogue? Ancient literature in translations into Russian and other languages

Prostokniga invites readers to familiarize themselves with the classics of philosophy, Plato's dialogues in the work "The Symposium".

"" - a dialogue dedicated to the problem of Eros (Love). At the feast there is a conversation between the playwright Agathon, Socrates, the politician Alcibiades, the comedian Aristophanes and others.

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Analysis and summary. Structurally, the work is divided into seven dialogues with main actors: Apollodorus, Phaedrus, Pausanias, Eryximachus, Aristophanes, Agathon, Alcibiades and, of course,. Each dialogue follows in turn, complementing and developing the previous one. Conversations touch on the same topic of love, but from different sides, positions, views and opinions. Thus, Plato tried to come to a single true conclusion on exciting issues, both for philosophy and for philosophers and rhetoricians of those times. Moreover, dialogue itself, as a literary form, is for Plato a way to achieve true knowledge.

As the candidate writes philosophical sciences, Ekaterina Matusova: “Socrates invents dialogue as a means of communication - a conversation consisting of questions and answers - precisely because this form is absolutely rational: it does not affect the feelings, but requires constant wakefulness of the mind, which must expose thought to lies at every moment. turn."

That is, the result of any dialogue should ideally be real knowledge, and not an empty thought. This is necessary, first of all, so that a person who lives in the power of a false opinion gets rid of ignorance. After all, for Plato’s Socrates, a person who lives by opinions and false opinions, and not by knowledge, is in darkness and fog, constantly chasing a shadow, all the time bumping into “objects of life.” And secondly, this is necessary for a person to realize that not “every mental reasoning is true.” After all, of two opposing arguments about the same subject, one is, at a minimum, false. But which of them is true and which is not is unclear. And from this follows the main thesis of Socratic ethics: “People sin out of ignorance (of good and evil),” but this does not relieve them of moral responsibility. Therefore, for Plato and Socrates, the dialogue had one more task - to find and derive laws by which truth can be achieved. Thus, it can be assumed that for Plato’s Socrates, dialogue is not only a means, not only a rational form of conversation, it is a path of knowledge, which can also be shrouded in false speculation and opinions, which a person should get rid of as soon as possible. But if we think and talk about the subject correctly, then this does not mean anything. As Vladimir Toporov, an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, writes: “For Plato, the main criterion of true knowledge is only appropriate behavior.”

That is, if a person comprehends the truth, then his deeds must correspond to it. Without this, truth is just an opinion.

And from this judgment follows the paraphrased Kantian, known to everyone since childhood moral imperative: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

At the same time, we must understand the fact that in his work Plato never speaks in the first person. The active hero is always Socrates (Plato's teacher), who talks with the same real people with whom he could actually communicate or actually communicated. Therefore, Plato puts all his ideas, as well as everything that was actually said or done by Socrates, into his mouth. However, Plato somewhat exaggerates the image of his teacher, constructing his image in such a way as to demonstrate his perfect virtue, creating the image of a “knowing man” and an “ideal philosopher.” And without this, the literary image of Socrates could not “expose the ignorance of the interlocutor, completely confusing him, so that he (the interlocutor) would no longer see any way out. And this is necessary so that a person, with all the depth of his being, understands how far he is from the truth,” says Ekaterina Matusova. And this fact should motivate a person to the courageous work of true knowledge. After all, for Plato, knowledge is a path that the human soul carries out independently and in no other way. Without this, it would be impossible to use the dialogues themselves for both pedagogical and moral purposes.

But at the same time, Plato is not a biographer or chronicler, he is a philosopher and writer who creates a text, as Ekaterina Matusova said: “subordinating it to his personal goals.” Likewise, in the work “The Symposium,” Plato builds dialogues in such a way that Socrates is able to expose the ignorance or delusion of his interlocutors on the issue of love. In this work, Plato describes love not so much of an erotic nature, but more of a metaphysical nature, subordinating it to the idea of ​​cognition. As has already been said, in order for a person to take the path of comprehending the truth, he must first get rid of false opinions. And this is a courageous act and it is like a feat, because too many things hinder knowledge. But the driving force of this work is love. “It continually attracts those who do not yet have it to what they want to have,” says Vladimir Toporov. After all, if you look at it, the word philosophy itself is translated as “love of wisdom.” That is, “a philosopher is a passionate lover of reason,” writes Plato.

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At the same time, we must understand the fact that quite a lot has been and is understood by the word love. For example, for Phaedrus from the work “The Feast,” love was understood as the most ancient deity (feeling). Pausanias describes two loves: destructive and creative. Eryximachus understands by love the nature that fills the essence of all things, events and actions. Aristophanes in his speech says that love is a person’s desire for primordial wholeness, citing the example of the myth of “Androgyne”, when a person was born from one androgynous being: half male, the other female. Separated by the will of the gods, a man and a woman are looking for their soulmate to unite. Love for Aristophanes is “the thirst for wholeness and the desire for it.” And, for example, for Agathon, love is perfect. It is the beginning of life, allowing all living things to arise. But Socrates in his speech questions the words of the participants in the conversation.

As already mentioned, love for Plato’s Socrates is the driving force on the path to knowledge. By the ultimate goal of knowledge we understand the achievement of good, which is beautiful. That is, “thirst for the good” and “thirst for the beautiful” are nothing more than love. As Ekaterina Matusova says: “This thirst is innate to man because he is tormented by the memories of that truly beautiful thing that his soul saw with his own eyes before falling into the body. She carries a reflection of him within herself, and he disturbs her, wanting to break through.” Therefore, for Plato, the essence of knowledge is revealed through the recollection of what is hidden in the soul, through the thirst for good, that is, through a person’s desire to remember the beautiful (truth). And at the same time, remembering the beautiful can take place in another person.

“Tormented by memories of heavenly beauty, the soul rushes to that person in whose appearance it sees a reflection of the sought-after beauty,” writes Ekaterina Matusova.

Love, according to Plato, is not a desire for a person, it is a desire for the beautiful in a person. The more a person comprehends the true, the more he “thirsts for good,” the more his soul “remembers,” the more he wants to see the beautiful in the soul of the person to whom he felt attracted.

This attraction, according to Plato, is the lowest form of love, but a necessary stage in the ascent to its peak. The desire of the human soul for happiness and immortality is the pinnacle of love. But since immortality on earth is impossible, and the soul wants to find happiness and immortality here and now, the attraction of people and souls helps in this. Through offspring a person gains immortality. But this immortality is relative, short-term and imaginary. Therefore, the soul strives to comprehend moral beauty, freeing itself from the shackles of frailty. And having cognized virtue, the human soul is able to see “the source of all beauty”: “Whoever is guided on the path of love will contemplate the beautiful in the right order, he, having reached the end of this path, will suddenly see something amazingly beautiful in nature, that same thing, Socrates, for the sake of which is what all the previous works were undertaken - something, firstly, eternal, that is, knowing neither birth, nor death, nor growth, nor depletion, and secondly, not in something beautiful, but in something ugly, not once, somewhere, for someone and in comparison with something beautiful, but at another time, in another place, for another and in comparison with something else, ugliness. This beauty will appear to him not in the form of some face, hands or other part of the body, not in the form of some speech or knowledge, not in something else, be it an animal, earth, sky or anything else, but itself in itself, always uniform in itself.” - Priestess Diotima says to Socrates. This is the ultimate goal of love: purity, immortality and divine beauty.

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In general, a person who has reached the heights of love is not only completely virtuous, but also carries within himself the traits of the immortal and divinely beautiful.

Plato's dialogues are fascinating and thoughtful. Every person who is driven by a thirst for knowledge is obliged to familiarize himself with the works of this great philosopher of all times and peoples.

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Apollodorus and his friend

I think I am sufficiently prepared for your questions. The other day, when I was walking into the city from home, from Faler, one of my acquaintances saw me from behind and playfully called out to me from afar.

“Hey,” he shouted, “Apollodorus, a resident of Phalerus, wait a minute!”

I stopped and waited.

“Apollodorus,” he said, “but I was just looking for you to ask about that feast at Agathon’s, where Socrates, Alcibiades and others were, and to find out what kind of speeches were made there about love.” One person told me about them from the words of Phoenix, the son of Philip, and said that you also know all this. But he himself couldn’t really say anything, so tell me about all this, since it’s more fitting for you to convey the speeches of your friend than anyone else. But first tell me whether you yourself were present at this conversation or not?

And I answered him:

“Apparently, the one who told you really didn’t tell you anything really, if you think that the conversation you’re asking about took place recently, so I could have been present there.”

“Yes, that’s exactly what I thought,” he answered.

- What are you talking about, Glaucon? – I exclaimed. “Don’t you know that Agathon hasn’t lived here for many years?” And since I began to spend time with Socrates and made it a rule to take note of everything he says and does every day, not even three years have passed. Until then, I wandered wherever I could, imagining that I was doing something worthwhile, but I was pathetic, like any of you - for example, like you now, if you think that it is better to do anything but philosophy.

“Rather than laugh at us,” he replied, “better tell me when this conversation took place.”

“During our childhood,” I answered, “when Agathon received a reward for his first tragedy, the day after he celebrated this victory with a sacrifice along with the Horevites.

“It turns out it was a long time ago.” Who told you about this, was it not Socrates himself?

- No, not Socrates, but the same one who told Phoenix - a certain Aristodemus from Cidafin, so small, always barefoot; he was present at this conversation, because he was then, it seems, one of the most ardent admirers of Socrates. However, I asked Socrates himself about something, and he confirmed his story to me.

So we had a conversation about this along the way: that’s why I feel, as I already noted at the beginning, quite prepared. And if you want me to tell you all this, let it be your way. After all, I am always immensely glad to have the opportunity to conduct or listen to philosophical speeches, not to mention the fact that I hope to derive some benefit from them; but when I hear other speeches, especially your usual speeches of the rich and businessmen, melancholy attacks me, and I feel sorry for you, my friends, because you think that you are doing something, but you yourself are just wasting your time. You, perhaps, consider me unhappy, and I admit that you are right; but that you are unhappy is not something I admit, but I know for sure.

“You are always the same, Apollodorus: you always vilify yourself and others and, it seems, you absolutely consider everyone except Socrates worthy of regret, and yourself first and foremost.” Why they called you possessed, I don’t know, but in your speeches you really are always like this: you attack yourself and the whole world, except Socrates.

- Well, how can I not rage, my dear, how can I not lose my temper, if this is my opinion both about myself and about you.

“There’s no point in arguing about this now, Apollodorus.” Better fulfill our request and tell us what kind of speeches were made there.

– They were of this sort... But I’ll try, perhaps, to tell you everything in order, just as Aristodemus himself told me.

So, he met Socrates, washed and wearing sandals, which rarely happened to him, and asked him where he was dressed up like that. He replied:

- For dinner at Agathon's. Yesterday I ran away from the victory celebration, frightened by the crowded gathering, but promised to come today. So I dressed up to show up handsomely to the handsome man. Well, you,” he concluded, “would you like to go to the feast without an invitation?”

And he answered him:

- As you order!

“In that case,” said Socrates, “let’s go together and, to change the saying, we will prove that “a worthy person comes to a feast without being called.” But Homer not only distorted this saying, but, one might say, violated it. Portraying Agamemnon as an unusually valiant warrior, and Menelaus as a “weak spearman,” he forced the less worthy Menelaus to appear uninvited to the more worthy Agamemnon when he was sacrificing and giving a feast.

Having heard this, Aristodemus said:

“I’m afraid that it will not turn out my way, Socrates, but rather Homer’s, if I, an ordinary person, come to the sage’s feast without an invitation.” Will you be able to somehow justify yourself by bringing me? After all, I won’t admit that I came uninvited, but I will say that you invited me.

“If we are making the journey together,” he objected, “we will discuss what to say.” Went!

After exchanging these words, they set off on their way. Socrates, indulging in his thoughts, lagged behind all the way, and when Aristodemus stopped to wait for him, he ordered him to go ahead. Arriving at Agathon's house, Aristodemus found the door open, and then, according to him, something funny happened. A slave immediately ran out to him and took him to where the guests were already reclining, ready to start dinner. As soon as Agathon saw the newcomer, he greeted him with these words:

- Oh, Aristodemus, you came at the right time - you’ll have dinner with us. If you are on some business, then put it off until another time. After all, I was already looking for you yesterday to invite you, but I couldn’t find you anywhere. Why didn’t you bring Socrates to us?

“And I,” continued Aristodemus, “turned around, and Socrates, I saw, was not following; I had to explain that I myself came with Socrates, who invited me here to dinner.

“And he did well to come,” answered the owner, “but where is he?”

“He just came in here after me, I myself can’t understand where he went.”

“Come on,” Agathon said to the servant, “look for Socrates and bring him here.” And you, Aristodemus, position yourself next to Eryximachus!

And the servant washed his feet, that he might lie down; and the other slave, meanwhile, returned and reported: Socrates, they say, turned back and is now standing in the entryway of a neighboring house, but refuses to answer the call.

“What nonsense are you talking about,” said Agathon, “call him more insistently!”

But then Aristodemus intervened.

“No need,” he said, “leave him alone.” This is his habit - he will go somewhere to the side and stand there. I think he will appear soon, just don’t touch him.

“Well, let it be your way,” said Agathon. – And for the rest of us, you servants, please treat us! Give us whatever you want, because I have never placed any overseers over you. Consider that I and everyone else are invited to dinner, and please us so that we cannot praise you enough.

The work was carried out by a 1st year student, r/o, 2nd French, Natalya Belikova.

Scene: feast at Agathon. Narrator: Apollodorus of Phalerus. Main theme, summary: wise philosophers gathered at a feast at a certain Agathon, and, being sober (!), and also wise, they speak to each other on the topic of love, the main subject of their reasoning is the god of love Eros.

Speech of Pausanias: two Eros. Pausanias claims that in general there are two Eros in nature (corresponding to two Aphrodites - heavenly and earthly). Eros are “heavenly” and “vulgar”. “An Eros is beautiful only that which encourages beautiful love.” It is interesting how P. characterizes his homeland - “love and benevolence in our state are considered something impeccably beautiful.” The speaker argues in a rather highly moralistic manner, so to speak - “a low admirer is one who loves the body more than the soul.” The gods forgive breaking an oath only to a lover. To please a fan is wonderful, to love is wonderful, but the most beautiful thing is “to do anything for anyone” - this is “more beautiful than anything in the world.” And to please in the name of virtue is “wonderful in any case.”

Speech of Eryximachus: Eros is diffused throughout nature. The main idea of ​​E.'s speech is the duality of the nature of Eros (“this dual Eros is already contained in the very nature of the body”). The healthy principle has one Eros, the sick one has another. In addition, E. speaks of a certain “heavenly”, beautiful love, this is the Eros of the muse Urania; Eros went to Polyhymnia. It is characteristic that “in music, and in healing, and in all other matters, both human and divine, it is necessary, as far as possible,” to take both Erotes into account.

Speech of Aristophanes: Eros as a person’s desire for original integrity. Eros is the most humane god. A. tells the prehistory of humanity (so, earlier, before people, there lived terrible creatures on Earth who had a two-sided body. They combined the appearance and name of two sexes - male and female; the male comes from the Earth, and the female comes from the Sun One day these creatures decided to encroach on the power of the gods, and then Zeus cruelly punished them by cutting them in half). And now each of us is half of a person cut into two parts, each of us is looking for our soul mate in life. And love, therefore, is “the thirst for integrity and the desire for it.” The best thing in life is “to meet an object of love that is close to you.”

Speech of Agathon: the perfections of Eros. Eros is the most beautiful and most perfect of all gods. Eros is very gentle, he lives in the soft and gentle souls of gods/people; this beautiful god never offends anyone, he is a skillful poet. One of his best qualities is his prudence. But there is no passion that would be stronger than Eros. It is significant that the affairs of the gods “came into order only when love appeared among them,” i.e. Eros.

Socrates' speech: Eros' goal is to master the good. Socrates argues with Agathon, saying that in his speech there were too many beauties and beauties, but at the same time too little truth. Socrates finds contradictions and logical inconsistencies in the speech of Agathon (for example, A. claims that Eros is the love of beauty, and not of ugliness, and people usually love what they need and what they do not have. But then it turns out that Eros is devoid of beauty and needs it, but one cannot call something beautiful that is completely devoid of beauty and needs it). Socrates himself characterizes Eros in a completely different way. In his reasoning, he relies on the thoughts of one wise woman, his teacher, Diotima. She taught Socrates that Eros is “something in between immortals and mortals,” He is a great genius. One of the geniuses, thanks to whom all sorts of censures, priestly art and in general everything related to sacrifices, sacraments, spells, prophecy and sorcery are possible. Socrates teaches (from the words of Diotima) that Eros (due to his origin) is not at all beautiful, he is “neither handsome nor gentle, but rude, unkempt, unshod and homeless, he is lying on the bare ground under the open sky,” but on his father's side, he is "brave, brave and strong, he is a skilled catcher, he has been occupied with philosophy all his life, he is a skilled sorcerer, sorcerer and sophist." Eros is located between wisdom and ignorance. The happy are happy because they have good. Love is the eternal desire for the eternal possession of good, it is NOT the desire for beauty, it is the desire to give birth and give birth in beauty (the concept of “pregnant women”). Moreover, love is the desire for the immortal, because the only thing people crave is immortality. Socrates identifies periods of loving maturation in a person’s life, certain stages: 1) first a person loves a body 2) then he understands that the beauty of bodies is the same 3) after that he begins to value the beauty of the soul higher than the beauty of the body 4) and only then the ability to see the beauty of the sciences appears 5) finally, the last step - “the one who, thanks to the right love for young men, has risen above the individual varieties of beauty and began to comprehend the most beautiful,” is already at the goal.

Speech of Alcivides: panegyric to Socrates. Nothing impressive or significant (see point E)). The suffering of a young gay man.

It is interesting that throughout the entire work one could notice many small detailed characteristics of Socrates, here are some of them:
a) Apollodrous met Socrates “washed and wearing sandals, which rarely happened to him”
b) Socrates: “my wisdom is somehow unreliable, inferior. It looks like a dream.”
c) Eryximachus says that S. “is able to drink and not drink” - he does not get drunk
d) Socrates: “I understand nothing but love”
e) Alcibiades: “at first glance it seems that Socrates loves beautiful people, always strives to be with them, admires them,” but “in fact, it doesn’t matter to him at all whether a person is beautiful or not, whether he is rich or has any other advantage , which the crowd extols. (Socrates-crowd opposition)." "He's been fooling people all his life with feigned self-deprecation." He is very hardy, surpasses everyone in endurance; "no one ever saw Socrates drunk." In battle he was brave and courageous, saved A. from death, and served in the heavy infantry. “His speeches are meaningful and divine.”

Appolodorus meets with his friend and he asks him to tell about the feast that took place in the poet’s house. This feast happened a long time ago, about 15 years ago. There were conversations about the god Eros and love. Neither one nor the other were present there themselves, but Apollodorus had heard about these conversations from another acquaintance of his.

The owner of the house where the feast took place is the poet Agathon. Socrates and many others were invited there. There was talk about Eros.

Phaedrus spoke first. In his speech, he called Eros the most ancient of the gods and the source of all pleasures and benefits. He says that the feeling he gives to people makes them noble, capable of anything. And to confirm his words, he talks about Achilles’ revenge for the murder of his friend.

Next, the baton of words passes to Pausnius. He divides love into its two manifestations: divine and base. And, in accordance with this, he says that there are two Eros. One gives people a vulgar feeling, while the other gives people a high and worthy feeling. This is love for a young man. The man is taller and better than women. And the feeling for him is nobility, given not for the sake of bodily pleasure, but for the sake of the soul and mind. And it makes a person wise and perfect.

Eryximachus is a doctor. He agrees with the division of feelings and God himself. He says that this is true and should be taken into account everywhere: both in healing and in poetry. After all, Eros lives everywhere. He is also in human soul, and in nature. And maintaining the balance of two Eros, two principles of a person, is the essence of his entire existence. And all the acts performed by a person during his life are nothing more than his unity with the gods.

The speech turns to the comedian Aristophanes. He came up with a myth about the first people. According to him, they were both female and male. They represented a danger to the gods, as they were quite strong. So they split them in half. Since then, there have been separate feminine and masculine principles. But the memory of that remains in the subconscious, hence the craving for the opposite.

Then the conversation turns to the owner himself. He sings praises to the god of love. Calls him the personification of justice and all other best qualities. All this was said in a poetic frenzy. The guests are delighted with the pathos and approve of his words.

They were also approved by Socrates. But this is just an appearance. He, skillfully conducting a conversation, forces Agathon to abandon what he had just said. And then he draws Eros in front of everyone, constantly striving for good and fullness of being, since he does not have it. He does not call him a god, but a link between the human world and the divine.

And then he says that having fallen in love with the body - the outer shell, a person, over time, begins to love the soul more and more. And this gives rise to a desire for improvement in him. And then he begins to strive for knowledge and the development of his most important advantage - his mind.

Then Alcibiades bursts into the house. Having learned briefly what was being said, he completely agreed with Socrates. And since he had nothing more to add about Eros, he makes a speech in his honor. Through his lips, Plato draws the image of a genius striving for self-improvement and development.

In Socrates' speeches lies main idea dialogue: the feeling of love encourages a person to strive for the highest, improving it.

Picture or drawing Plato - Symposium

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Apollodorus and his friend

Apollodorus, at the request of a friend, when meeting him, talks about a feast at Agathon, where Socrates, Alcibiades and others were present and there were talks about love. This was a long time ago; Apollodorus himself was not present there, but learned about those conversations from Aristodemus.

That day, Aristodemus met Socrates, who invited him to dinner with Agathon. Socrates fell behind and came to visit later. After dinner, those present reclined and took turns saying a word of praise to the god Eros.

Speech of Phaedrus: the most ancient origin of Eros

Phaedrus calls Eros the most ancient god,

He is the original source of the greatest blessings. There is “no greater good for a young man than a worthy lover, and for a lover than a worthy beloved.” A lover is ready to do any feat for the sake of his beloved, even die for him. But it is the devotion of the beloved to the lover that especially delights the gods, for which the lovers are given greater honor. As an example, Phaedrus cites Achilles' revenge for the murder of his admirer Partokles.

After all, the lover is more divine than the beloved, because he is inspired by God.

It is the powerful god of love, Eros, who is able to “endow people with valor and give them bliss.”

Pausanias' speech:

Two Eros

There are two Eros: vulgar and heavenly. Vulgar Eros gives love to insignificant people, heavenly love is, first of all, love for young men, for a creature more intelligent and sublime than a woman. Such love is a concern for moral improvement:

Low is that vulgar admirer who loves the body more than the soul... As soon as the body blossoms, he will “fly away”... And whoever loves for high moral virtues remains faithful all his life...

It is commendable if a beloved youth accepts the advances of a suitor and learns wisdom from him. But the feelings of both must be absolutely sincere, there is no place for self-interest in them.

Speech of Eryximachus: Eros is diffused throughout nature

The dual nature of Eros manifests itself in everything that exists. Moderate Eros and unbridled Eros must be in harmony with each other:

After all, the healthy and sick principles of the body... are different and dissimilar, but the dissimilar strives for the dissimilar and loves it. Consequently, the healthy principle has one Eros, the sick one has another.

It is necessary and wonderful to please the moderate god and honor him; one must resort to the vulgar Eros carefully so that he does not give rise to intemperance. Fortune telling and sacrifices help establish friendly relations people with gods.

Aristophanes' Speech: Eros as Man's Striving for Original Wholeness

Aristophanes tells the myth of androgynes - ancient people consisting of two halves: two modern people. Androgynes were very strong; Zeus cut them in half for their decision to attack the gods.

... when the bodies were cut in half, each half lustfully rushed towards the other, they hugged, intertwined and, passionately wanting to grow together, did not want to do anything separately.

Since then, the halves of androgynes have been looking for each other, wanting to merge together. Thanks to the union of a man and a woman, the human race continues. When a man meets a man, satisfaction from intercourse is still achieved. The quest for wholeness is the quest to heal human nature.

Aristophanes calls the men descended from the previous man and who are attracted to each other the most worthy: they are by nature the most courageous.

Thus, love is the thirst for integrity and the desire for it. Before... we were something united, but now, because of our injustice, we are settled by God separately...

Speech of Agathon: the perfections of Eros

Eros is the most perfect god. He is the bearer of the best qualities: beauty, courage, prudence, mastery of arts and crafts. Even the gods can consider Eros their teacher.

Socrates modestly notes that he is in a difficult position after such a wonderful speech by Agathon. He begins his speech with a dialogue with Agathon, asking him questions.

Socrates' speech: Eros's goal is to master the good

Eros is always love for someone or something, the object of this love is what you need. If Eros needs the beautiful, and goodness is beautiful, then he also needs the good.

Socrates described Eros, as if based on the story of one Mantinean woman, Diotima. Eros is not beautiful, but not ugly, not kind, but not evil, which means he is in the middle between all extremes. But since he is not beautiful and not kind, he cannot be called a god. According to Diotima, Eros is neither a god nor a man, he is a genius.

The purpose of geniuses is to be interpreters and mediators between people and gods, conveying to the gods the prayers and sacrifices of people, and to people the orders of the gods and rewards for sacrifices.

Eros is the son of Poros and the beggar Penia, so he personifies the middle between his parents: he is poor, but “like a father, he reaches out to the beautiful and perfect.” Eros is brave, bold and strong, longs for rationality and achieves it, he is busy with philosophy.

Eros is the love of beauty. If beauty is good, then everyone wants it to become their lot. All people are pregnant both physically and spiritually. Nature can be relieved of its burden only in beauty.

The intercourse of a man and a woman is such permission. And this is a divine matter, for conception and birth are manifestations of the immortal principle in a mortal being... which means that love is a desire for immortality.

Caring for offspring is a desire for the eternal; in eternity one can achieve the beautiful - the good.

Then a drunken Alcibiades appears. He is invited to say his word about Eros, but he refuses: he recognizes the speech of Socrates that was heard before as logically indisputable. Then Alcibiades is asked to praise Socrates.

Alcibiades' Speech: Panegyric to Socrates

Alcibiades compares Socrates' speeches to the satyr Marsyas playing the flute, but Socrates is a satyr without instruments.

When I listen to him, my heart beats much stronger than that of the raging Corybantes, and tears flow from my eyes from his speeches; the same thing I see happening to many others.

Alcibiades admires Socrates. The young man hoped to gain his wisdom and wanted to seduce the philosopher with his beauty, but beauty did not have the desired effect. Alcibiades was conquered by the spirit of Socrates. In joint hikes with a fan, the philosopher showed his best qualities: courage, stamina, endurance. He even saved the life of Alcibiades and refused the reward in his favor. Socrates has a unique personality compared to everyone else.

Final scene

Socrates warns Agathon against the speeches of Alcibiades: Alcibiades wants to sow discord between Agathon and the philosopher. Agathon then lies down closer to Socrates. Alcibiades asks Agathon to lie at least between him and Socrates. But the philosopher replied that if Agathon lies lower than Alcibiades, then he, Socrates, will not be able to praise his neighbor on the right, i.e. Agathon. Then noisy revelers appeared, someone went home. Aristodemus fell asleep, and when he woke up, he saw Socrates, Aristophanes and Agathon talking. Soon Alcibiades left after Socrates...

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