Given as a course in autumn 1959 under the title plato s political. On a charitable interpretation of aristotle, aristotle reads plato correctly, and his criticism of plato is welltaken. A new interpretation of platos socratic dialogues by charles h. Leo strauss on platos symposium, strauss, benardete. The men include the philosopher socrates, the general and political figure alcibiades, and the comic playwright aristophanes. This study guide consists of approximately 29 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of symposium. Read download leo strauss on platos symposium pdf pdf.
Suppose, for example, that aristotle claims that an idea of platos is false and that platos argument for it is invalid. The poetic presentation of philosophy in leo strauss symposium. Pdf the poetic presentation of philosophy in leo strauss. The symposium is a deft interweaving of different viewpoints and ideas about the nature of love as. With wit and insight, they each present their ideas about lovefrom erixymachuss scientific naturalism to aristophanes comic fantasy. On reading symposium for the first time, i thought plato was not a feminist. The annenberg cpbproject provided support for entering this text.
This is done by 1 leo strauss, on platos symposium, university of chicago press, 2001 hereafter abbreviated in the text as ps. Love and beauty in platos symposium it is a widely held view that according to the symposium the ultimate or primary object of love is the form of beauty. Firstly phaedrus says at the very start of his speech, love is a great god, plato, 178b which shows he thinks love to be male and throughout his speech he uses the pronoun he for love which happens in almost each speech. In the spirit of freshness, i will focus on one very important section, where socrates relates the words of his teacher diotima on the. Sep 06, 2012 how and why love should be praised in plato s symposium philosophy core concepts duration.
In addition, this little admission links alcibiadess speech to phaedruss, at the beginning of the symposium. The symposium concerns itself at one level with the genesis, purpose and nature of love, and in latterday interpretations is the origin of the concept of platonic love. Strauss s full meaning becomes clear only after a close and thorough study of the argument and the action of plato s laws, but a passage near the beginning pp. Full text of plato s symposium see other formats plato symposium trans. Free kindle book and epub digitized and proofread by project gutenberg. The discussion culminates in a radical challenge to conventional views by plato s mentor, socrates, who advocates transcendence through spiritual love. From library journal in fall 1959, strauss offered a course at the university of chicago titled plato s political philosophy, during which he lectured on the symposium. The first major piece of unpublished work by leo strauss to appear in more than thirty years, leo strauss on platos symposium offers the public the unprecedented experience of encountering this renowned scholar as his students did. The marriage between character and thought bursts forth as the guests gather at agathons house to celebrate the success of his first tragedy.
In the symposium alcibiades describes socrates valour in the battles of potidaea and delium, recounting how he saved his life in the former battle 219e221b. Given as a course in autumn 1959 under the title platos political philosophy, these provocative lecturesuntil now, never published, but instead passed down from one generation. It depicts a friendly contest of extemporaneous speeches given by a group of notable men attending a banquet. Feb 09, 20 on reading symposium for the first time, i thought plato was not a feminist. It has been accepted for inclusion in this collection by an authorized administrator. On one level the book deals with the genealogy, nature and purpose of love, on another level the book deals with the topic of knowledge, specifically how does one know what one knows. Platos symposium greek and latin texts with facing. Strauss wrote mainly as a historian of philosophy and most of his writings take. In platos symposium, the priestess diotima, whom socrates introduces as an. The dramatic nature of platos dialogues is delightfully evident in the symposium. Apollodorus, who repeats to his companion the dialogue which he. Christopher gills translation retains all the drama and humour of. Presents in a dramatic way platos view of love 334. Platos feministic approach in symposium auws interpreting.
Socrates says he served in the athenian army during three campaigns. The afterlife of platos symposium in western art and ideas. Sep 16, 20 the symposium concerns itself at one level with the genesis, purpose and nature of love, and in latterday interpretations is the origin of the concept of platonic love. Plato 428348 bce student of socrates died 399 bce culture of athens in the 5 th4th century bce. The course was devoted to the study of plato s symposium, but strauss of course discusses several other dialogues that he suggests are related to the symposium. This word is ordinarily translated as constitution. Googles cache is the snapshot that we took of the page as we crawled the web. Review of strauss, leo strauss on platos symposium and plato, platos symposium. Kahn d espite the fact that he perfected the form, plat0 did not invent the socratic dialogue. Aristotle1 platos symposium contains some myths treating matters of gender and erotics. The symposium is a deft interweaving of different viewpoints and ideas about the nature of love as a response to beauty, a cosmic force, a motive for social action and as a means of ethical education. If someone is useful only for manual work involving little or no danger, this is obviously.
Sept 2014 10 mb this link contains a free pdf copy of platos symposium. Full text of platos symposium see other formats plato symposium trans. An exploration of the symposium and platos love remy p. Seth benardete the first major piece of unpublished work by leo strauss to appear in more than thirty years, leo strauss on plato s symposium offers the public the unprecedented experience of encountering this.
The symposium is connected with the phaedrus both in style and subject. It was suggested shortly after that the lectures be reworked and published, and strauss agreed. Any other use, which is not permitted in accordance with the principle of fair use, requires the permission of the estate of leo strauss. Because of the centrality and power of love in human experience, men and women throughout the ages have felt the compulsion to sing songs, to write verse, and to tell stories about this ineffable and mysterious force which leads. Of all the works of plato the symposium is the most perfect in form, and may be truly.
Plato on love symposium pdf the symposium, plato means a description which classifies love as a kind of. Firstly phaedrus says at the very start of his speech, love is a great god, plato, 178b which shows he thinks love to be male and throughout his speech he uses the. Benardete apollodorus, in my own opinion, i am not unprepared for what you ask about. The guests decide not to get drunk, but drinking a little and discuss about love. In both of them philosophy is regarded as a sort of enthusiasm or madness. View plato s symposium research papers on academia. The book leo strauss on platos symposium, leo strauss is published by university of chicago press. Eros and the three sexes in platos symposium michael groneberg even the lover of myth philomythos is in a sense a lover of wisdom philosophos, for myth is composed of wonders. The course was devoted to the study of platos symposium, but strauss of course discusses several other dialogues that he suggests are related to the symposium. This dialogue is unlike the others of plato, in as much as, socrates does not question the others in the dialectical fashion, except briefly. Leo strauss was a twentiethcentury german jewish emigre to the united states whose intellectual corpus spans ancient, medieval and modern political philosophy and includes, among others, studies of plato, maimonides, machiavelli, hobbes, spinoza, and nietzsche. Of all the works of plato the symposium is the most perfect in form, and may be truly thought to contain more than any commentator has ever dreamed of. However, plato may also be counting on the readers familiarity with alcibiadess later exploits, including the doomed sicilian expedition and his defection to sparta, then back to athens. Since plato and aristotle are both major philosophers, both must be interpreted charitably.
Plato s symposium this dialogue is unlike the others of plato, in as much as, socrates does not question the others in the dialectical fashion, except briefly. Apollodorus of phaleron tells a friend about a dinner party held in 415 b. Sept 2014 10 mb this link contains a free pdf copy of plato s symposium. Socrates, xenophon, and plato get any book for free on. Instead the various speakers take turns, as it were, each offering what he knows from his own perspective and then socrates presents a view that can place the others within a grander. The first major piece of unpublished work by leo strauss to appear in more than thirty years, this volume offers the public the unprecedented experience of encountering this renowned scholar as his students did. Several of platos dialogs refer to socrates military service. The symposium of plato is a work of this character, and can with difficulty be rendered in any words but the writers own. There are so many halflights and crosslights, so much of the colour of mythology, and of the manner of sophistry adheringrhetoric and poetry, the playful and the serious, are so subtly intermingled in it, and vestiges. Symposium is central in platos philosophy, since it talks about love and ideas. Use of the audio and text files published on this website is available only for noncommercial, personal, educational use.
Symposium as described in the class presentations by their fellow students. In fall 1959, strauss offered a course at the university of chicago titled platos political philosophy, during which he lectured on the symposium. Leo strauss platos laws a course offered in the autumn quarter, 1959 the department of political science, the university of chicago edited and with an introduction by lorraine pangle lorraine pangle is professor of government and codirector of the thomas jefferson center for the study of core texts and ideas at the. The discussion culminates in a radical challenge to conventional views by platos mentor, socrates, who advocates transcendence through spiritual love. Several of plato s dialogs refer to socrates military service. Proceedings of the eighth symposium platonicum pragense. John oliver campbell a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of masters of arts department of philosophy college of arts and sciences university of south florida major professor. Leo strauss on plato s symposium download ebook pdf. In the years following socrates death, a number of his former associates wrote short dialogues in which socrates was the principal interlocutor. Socrates and aristodemus will attend a banquet at agathon, with aristophanes, appolodore, pausanias and eryximachus. Purchase a copy of this text not necessarily the same edition from.
The lectures read differently than the books and essays professor strauss prepared for publication. On one level the book deals with the genealogy, nature and purpose of love, on another level the book deals with the topic of knowledge. For in philosophy as in prophecy glimpses of the future may often be conveyed in words which could hardly have been understood or interpreted at the. Given as a course in autumn 1959 under the title platos political philosophy, at the university of chicago, these transcripts previously had circulated in. Leo strauss on plato s symposium offers the public the unprecedented experience of encountering this renowned scholar as his students did. Socrates is himself a prophet new inspired with bacchanalian revelry, which, like his philosophy, he. Strauss presents a coherent and complete interpretation of the symposium, proceeding by a meticulous reading from beginning to end. The edited transcript of leo strausss 1959 seminar on platos symposium. This means not only structure as we may understand it but also a whole way of. How and why love should be praised in platos symposium philosophy core concepts duration. Leo strauss platos laws a course offered in the autumn quarter, 1959 the department of political science, the university of chicago edited and with an introduction by lorraine pangle lorraine pangle is professor of government and codirector of the thomas jefferson center for.
Introduction to leo strausss 1957 spring seminar on platos republic. Seth benardete, like leo strauss, judged that the symposium occupies the privileged place in the platonic kosmos. Pdf leo strauss is one of a handful of political philosophers to turn his. Operating on the once common hypothesis that commentary is an excellent method of expounding the truth, strauss sheds light not only on the meaning of the dialogue and its place in the platonic corpus, but also on. Apollodorus had heard the story from an eyewitness, one of socrates pupils, aristodemus, who had been a guest at the party. Print word pdf take our free symposium quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. The symposium is a deft interweaving of different viewpoints and ideas about the nature of love as a response to beauty, a cosmic force or a path to goodness. Plato, symposium california state university, northridge. Leo strauss plato s laws a course offered in 197l72 at st. Introduction to platos symposium the symposium tells the story of a drinking party in which the guests agree to put aside their desire for wine, women and music and deliver speeches in honor of eros, a word often translated as love but more aptly described as sexual desire or passionate love. Christopher gills translation retains all the drama and humour of the greek, bringing the historical figures to life.
The symposium, a series of speeches paying tribute to eros, poses a. Leo strauss on plato s symposium free ebook download as pdf file. The first major piece of unpublished work by leo strauss to appear in more than thirty years, leo strauss on plato s symposium offers the public the unprecedented experience of encountering this renowned. How benardete read the last stage of socratess philosophic. I was immediately struck by the depth of knowledge strauss brought to his analysis speaking of athenian topics in strictly athenian terms, with critical attention to the details of athenian history and what we know of athenian religious, political, and social practices.
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