Plato's Symposium: Part 1

I've started reading Plato's Symposium without knowing what to expect. I have so far found the book a little hard to understand at times, but overall I have discovered that many of the ideas discussed in the book very interesting.

First of all before they starting their discussion of love Socrates says that he wished wisdom could be absorbed, because Agathon has so much wisdom to offer him. Agathon is confused, he sees Socrates as extremely intelligent; much more intelligent than him. However, I agree with Socrates. Socrates has realized something that Creon would have done well to understand. All humans can learn something from all other humans. No matter who you are, everyone around you can teach you something.

Another thing that I found interesting about what was said about love is that many of the ideas expressed are things we still believe today. One of these ideas is that the love of young boys should be forbidden because no one knows how they will turn out. This lends itself to the modern idea that teenage boys will break hearts and that they need to "grow up" in order to become proper mates for women. Another topic discussed is that "...in the pursuit of love the custom of mankind allows him to do many strange things, which philosophy would bitterly censure if they were done from any motive of interest..." This speaks of the idea that 'love makes us do crazy things.' Finally, at one point it is said that "Evil is the vulgar lover who loves the body rather than the soul..." This is the same as the modern idea that love is better when you love the person for their personality rather than their body. This kind of love is supposed to be more pure and long lasting than the "lust" kind of love that is thought to come from loving a person's look.

I also enjoyed the discussions of how harmony comes to the world when the two kinds of love are equal and not in competition with one another. I found this a very interesting idea. Also the idea discussed that love rules all the other gods was something that I really enjoyed reading. I have always believed in the power of love and this is also very much like the modern idea that love conquers all. Finally was the idea that we are looking for our other half. This is the same as the phrase that lovers often utter: "He/She is my better half."

All of these modern ideas discussed in the book were a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect the book to speak so much to modern ideals. They were discussed in a slightly different way, but as is the mantra of the class all that is past possess our present.

Here is an article I found on the internet. I thought it has a lot of interesting, helpful ideas that helped me in understanding what was going on a little bit better.

http://condor.depaul.edu/~dsimpson/tlove/symposium.html