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Home → SparkNotes → Philosophy Study Guides → The Symposium → Overall Summary
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THE SYMPOSIUM
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Overall Summary
Overall Summary
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Summary and
Analysis
Apollodorus relates to an unnamed companion a story he learned
Overall Analysis and
Themes
honor of the tragedian Agathon. Socrates arrives at the party late,
172a - 177e
have finished eating, Eryximachus picks up on a suggestion of
178a - 180b
Phaedrus', that each person should in turn make a speech in
180c - 185c
praise of the god of Love.
from Aristodemus about a symposium, or dinner-party, given in
SPARKLI
as he was lost in thought on the neighboring porch. Aer they
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SOCIAL MEDIA
185c - 189b
Phaedrus
189c - 193e
begins by
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193e - 197e
saying that
198a - 201c
Love is one of
201d - 204c
the oldest of
FUNNY THINGS
204d - 209e
the gods, and
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the one that
210a - 212c
does the most
212c - 216c
to promote
216c - 223d
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virtue in
KISSING
people. Pausanias follows Phaedrus, drawing a distinction
between Common Love, which involves simple and mindless
desire, and Heavenly Love, which always takes place between a
Ahhhh!
Adorable rain
kissing!
man and a boy. In the case of Heavenly Love, the boy, or loved
one, sexually gratifies the man, or lover, in exchange for
THE FAULT IN
education in wisdom and virtue. Aer Pausanias, Eryximachus,
OUR STARS
the doctor, speaks, suggesting that good Love promotes
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moderation and orderliness. Love does not restrict itself to
human interaction, but can be found in music, medicine, and
much else besides.
NAME GAMES
The next to speak is the comic poet Aristophanes. Aristophanes
draws an engaging myth that suggests that we were once all
twice the people we are now, but that our threat to the gods
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prompted Zeus to cut us in half. Ever since, we have wandered the
THE MIN
earth looking for our other half in order to rejoin with it and
become whole. Agathon follows up Aristophanes, and gives a
rhetorically elaborate speech that identifies Love as young,
beautiful, sensitive, and wise. He also sees Love as responsible
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for implanting all the virtues in us. Socrates questions Agathon's
MOVIES
speech, suggesting that Agathon has spoken about the object of
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Love, rather than Love itself.
In order to correct him, Socrates relates what he was once told by
a wise woman named Diotima. According to Diotima, Love is not
a god at all, but is rather a spirit that mediates between people
ETSY
and the objects of their desire. Love is neither wise nor beautiful,
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but is rather the desire for wisdom and beauty. Love expresses
itself through pregnancy and reproduction, either through the
bodily kind of sexual Love or through the sharing and
reproduction of ideas. The greatest knowledge of all, she
SCIENCE
confides, is knowledge of the Form of Beauty, which we must
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strive to a"ain.
At the end of Socrates' speech, Alcibiades bursts in, falling-down
drunk, and delivers a eulogy to Socrates himself. In spite of
Alcibiades' best efforts, he has never managed to seduce
UNCLE JAY
Socrates as Socrates has no interest at all in physical pleasure.
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Soon the party descends into chaos and drinking and
Aristodemus falls asleep. He awakes the next morning to find
Socrates still conversing. When everyone else has finally fallen
asleep, Socrates gets up and goes about his daily business as
PERFUME
always.
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