Plato's Symposium Analysis

"Plato's Symposium"

Kaboom, that was the sound of Zeus's thunder crashing towards the Earth. During this time period the people in Greece believed in these gods. Also happening at the same time period was when the worlds most famous philosophers began to come out and teach. Most importantly the philosophers did what they were suppose to, and that was to question the world around them. One of the most famous philosophers in the Greek period around 416 B.C. was a man named Socrates. Socrates was student of the Diotima which taught him things about love, ignorance, wisdom and right opinion, which he rehearses to the people attending the dinner of Agathon's.

We will first start by analyzing what Diotima has said about the four cognitive functions, which are: wisdom, understanding, right opinion and ignorance. She asks Socrates "do you think what is not wise, then it is ignorant?" and she continues with "Do you not perceive that there is something between wisdom and ignorance?" In these first quotes Socrates only believes that if something is not wise then it has to be ignorant and that there is no in between. Diotima then points out that doesn't think see that there is an middle point between wisdom and ignorance. Diotima then replies "To have right opinion without being able to give a reason, is neither to understand (for how could an unreasoned thing be understanding?) nor is it ignorance (for how can ignorance hit the truth?). Right opinion is no doubt something between knowledge and ignorance." In the second quote what Diotima tells Socrates is that right opinion is in between wisdom and ignorance. She explains this by telling Socrates that being incapable of giving a reason something cannot be considered knowledge, because how can knowledge be entirely lacking reason. She also points out that it can't be considered ignorance because you can't obtain the truth from ignorance, but then it is clearly something in between wisdom and ignorance which is called right opinion.

Diotima explains the four cognitive functions more in depth a couple of paragraphs later on starting with "The truth is this: no god seeks after wisdom or desires to become wiseÐ'--for wise he is already; nor does anyone else seek after wisdom, if he is wise already. And again, the ignorant do not seek after wisdom nor desire to become wise; for this is the worst of ignorance, that one who is neither beautiful and good nor intelligent should think himself good enough, so he does not desire it, because he does not think he is lacking in what he does not think he needs." What Diotima tells Socrates here is that no god is in search or in want of being wise for the gods are already wise, nor does any human who is already wise seek after wisdom. Neither do the ignorant search to be wise, and that is the evil of ignorance, a person that is satisfied with himself and is not good nor wise and is satisfied with himself, because he has no desire for that which he has no want.

Socrates then ask Diotima "Who then are the Philosophers? If those who seek after wisdom are neither wise nor the ignorant?" She answers with "They are between these two, as Love is. You see, wisdom is one of the most beautiful things, and Love is a love for the beautiful, so Love must necessarily be a philosopher, and, being a philosopher, he must be between wise and ignorant. His birth is the cause of this for he comes of a wise and resourceful father, but of a mother resource less and not wise." Diotima here explains to Socrates that philosophers are in the center of wise and ignorant, and love is right in there between the two. Because wisdom is a very beautiful thing, and Love is of the beautiful; and therefore love is also a philosopher or another way of putting it a lover of wisdom. And being a lover of wisdom it too is in the center of wisdom and ignorance. This Love's birth was also the cause because dad was wealthy and wise, and his mom was poor and foolish.

Now we go on to the model of the power of love. Socrates starts off asking Diotima what power does love have? Diotima answers " To interpret and to ferry across to the gods things given by men, and to men things from the gods, from men petitions and sacrifices, from the gods commands and requitals in return; and being in the middle it completes them and binds them all together into a whole. Through this intermediary moves all the art of divination, and the art of priests, and all concerned with sacrifice and mysteries and incantations, and all sorcery and witchcraft. For God mingles not with man, but through this comes all the communion and conversation of gods with men and men with gods, both awake and asleep; and he who is expert in this is a spiritual man, but the expert in something other that this, such as common arts or crafts, is a vulgar man. These spirits are many and of all sorts and kinds, and one of them is Love." After Socrates ask about the powers that love has. Diotima explains to Socrates that Loves power includes communication between the gods and man. To transport to the gods the sacrifices of men and prayers, and to the men replies from the gods and commands. Love is a middle man that connects the two worlds that divide the gods from men. And therefore in him all is connected. Through love the doings of priest and prophets, such as sacrifices mysteries and charms, and all prophecy and spells find their way. For God does not talk to man; but through love all the talking and meddling with of a god is then transferred to a man, whether sleeping or awake is going on. The wisdom which understands this is a spiritual; all other wisdom such as arts and hand made things, is stingy and lacking refinement. Now all these intermediate powers are a lot and very different, and one of them is love.

Now we go on to the myth of the origin of love. Socrates ask Diotima who was his father and who was his mother? Diotima goes on to explain that it's a long story but she'll tell him anyway. She starts by saying "When Aphrodite was born, the gods held a feast, among them Plenty, The son of Neverataloss. When they had dined, Poverty came in begging, as might be expected with all that good cheer, and hung about the doors. Plenty then got drunk on the nectarÐ'--for there was no wine yet--and went into Zeus's park all heavy and fell asleep. So Poverty because of her penury made a plan to have a child from Plenty, and lay by his side and conceived Love. This is why Love has become follower and servant of Aphrodite, having been begotten at her birthday party, and at the same time he is by nature a lover busy with beauty because Aphrodite is beautiful. Then since Love is the son of Plenty and Poverty he gets his fortunes from them. First, he is always