Summary
Highlights
This lecture transitions from the Apology to Plato's Symposium, focusing on another example of the Socratic method in action. While the Apology portrays Socrates as a disruptive figure, the Symposium reveals his captivating qualities and explores the nature of love, particularly through the metaphor of 'giving birth in beauty.' The dialogue takes place at a Greek drinking party (symposium), where intellectuals give speeches praising love, known as 'eros'.
Socrates, unimpressed by earlier speeches, including Agathon's elaborate praise of love, prepares to give his own. He critiques Agathon's speech, arguing that it merely creates the illusion of praising love rather than explaining its true essence. Socrates uses elenchus (cross-examination) to demonstrate that Agathon’s claim of love being the most beautiful of the gods is contradictory, leading Agathon to acknowledge his confusion.
Socrates systematically breaks down Agathon's argument. He establishes two premises: love is 'love of something' and 'involves a present need.' Since Agathon agrees love is a 'desire for beauty,' Socrates deduces that love must need beauty and therefore doesn't possess it. This logically leads to the conclusion that love itself cannot be beautiful, directly contradicting Agathon’s initial assertion and leaving him in a state of aporia.
The Socratic method, exemplified by the refutation of Agathon, aims to induce confusion (aporia) to prompt a re-evaluation of assumptions. In this context, Socrates seeks to uncover a deeper, more accurate understanding of love, moving beyond conventional and superficial praises to explore its true nature and significance.
Socrates attributes his understanding of love to Diotima, a wise priestess who once 'schooled' him. Diotima's core teaching states that 'love is wanting to possess the good forever,' implying a desire for enduring positive experiences. She famously claims that love involves 'giving birth in beauty,' a metaphor for 'soul pregnancy,' where individuals learn to appreciate diverse forms of beauty, progressing from physical to abstract and intellectual manifestations.
Diotima describes a journey of ascending appreciation for beauty, moving from beautiful bodies to customs, and then to intellectual pursuits like art, poetry, and scientific theories. This journey culminates in understanding a universal 'form of beauty,' a unifying ideal. This pursuit is not just aesthetic; it's a metaphysical endeavor that transforms individuals, enabling them to 'give birth' to true virtue by connecting with true beauty, as distinct from mere 'images of virtue'.
The dialogue shifts with Alcibiades' entrance, who initially seeks a relationship with Socrates for political gain, offering superficial beauty in exchange for what he believes to be Socrates' wisdom. Socrates rebukes this, highlighting that Alcibiades misunderstands the profound, transformative nature of the beauty within him, comparing Alcibiades' offer to trading 'gold for bronze.' This reinforces the idea that true beauty, like Socrates' wisdom, can't be bought or traded for worldly desires.
Plato emphasizes that appreciating Socrates means understanding the value of aporia—the confusion he induces—as a catalyst for critical thinking and the pursuit of wisdom. The 'examined life' championed by Socrates involves embracing a philosophical way of life, characterized by wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice, and a deep commitment to self-care. Plato suggests nurturing this 'Socratic impulse' to find true beauty and lead an enriched life.
The lecture concludes by summarizing its exploration of Plato's Symposium, the Socratic method, and Diotima’s concept of 'giving birth in beauty.' It highlights how this understanding of love prompts a re-evaluation of true beauty, both in Socrates and in one's own life, setting the stage for future discussions on Plato’s philosophical views on human psychology and the good life.