Reading Group
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, September 29; October 6 & 20.
All undergraduate and graduate students are warmly welcome.
In Praise of Love: Plato’s Symposium
To the ancient Greeks, a “symposium” was a drinking party. In his Symposium, Plato depicts a party where the guests take turns giving speeches in praise of Eros, the god of love. The conversation begins with reflections on love of one person for another and gradually broadens in its scope. The following questions arise in the course of speeches: What exactly is “love”—specifically, eros—and how valuable is it? Why does love attach us so intensely to one particular person? Should we also speak of love of non-persons, as one might love—be passionately desirous of—ideals like justice and truth? How important is the bodily, carnal aspect of love, and how does it relate to the love of a person’s soul or aspects of their personality? Should we love some things and/or persons more than others? If so, what should we love the most, and why? What is the relationship between love and beauty, or love and wisdom?
In these speeches, we hear from doctors and comedy-writers, as well as from Socrates, the iconic philosopher. The result is a masterpiece of literature and philosophy: the Symposium is equally as entertaining and well-crafted as it is profound.
Led by Michael Lang (Ph.D. Candidate)
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