Plato's Symposium: A Translation by Seth Benardete with Commentaries by Allan Bloom and Seth BenardetePlato, Allan Bloom wrote, is "the most erotic of philosophers," and his Symposium is one of the greatest works on the nature of love ever written. This new edition brings together the English translation of the renowned Plato scholar and translator, Seth Benardete, with two illuminating commentaries on it: Benardete's "On Plato's Symposium" and Allan Bloom's provocative essay, "The Ladder of Love." In the Symposium, Plato recounts a drinking party following an evening meal, where the guests include the poet Aristophanes, the drunken Alcibiades, and, of course, the wise Socrates. The revelers give their views on the timeless topics of love and desire, all the while addressing many of the major themes of Platonic philosophy: the relationship of philosophy and poetry, the good, and the beautiful. |
Other editions - View all
Plato's Symposium: A Translation by Seth Benardete with Commentaries by ... Plato Limited preview - 2013 |
Common terms and phrases
Achilles Agathon Agathon's speech agreed Alcibi Alcibiades Aphrodite Apollodorus Apology of Socrates argument Aristodemus Aristophanes assert Athenian Athens attracted aware beautiful things become believe beloved bodily concern connected cosmic death deeds desire dialogue Diotima divine drink Eros erotic eroticism Eryximachus father friendship give Glaucon Greek happiness Hesiod hiccups Homer homosexual human immortality kind lack live longing looking lover male means moderation moral nature never Nietzsche noble nomos Olympian gods one's opinion Pandemian Pausanias pederasty perhaps person Phaedo Phaedrus Phaedrus's philosophy Plato pleasure poetry poets political possess praise of Eros present problem question relationship Republic rhetoric sake seems sexual shame Sicilian expedition simply someone sort speak speakers Symposium teaching tell thought Thucydides tion tragic truth turn ugly understand unerotic Uranian virtue whole wisdom wise women Xenophon young Zeus