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sidharthvardhan's review against another edition
4.0
Normaly Socrates takes the other people on a ride of constant questioning - Socratic method, but the subject of discourse is always some abstract word which he overloads with multiple meamings rather reducing their value. Unlike Aristotle he don't seem interested in giving definations - he says he can't and rather destroys definations others offer. This is not the case here as he didn't get speak till the end.
The dialogue is full of a diverse variety of myths offered by different people which, given that subject is love, are all very poetic in nature. The views forwarded are quite liberal - one of them forgives lover everything, another calls love a mean or unions - love being offspring of god of riches and godess of poverty; yet another called Love first of all gods who destroyed chaos on his qppearance and so on. The concept of Platonic love is only hinted with out naming it as one of two kinds of love.
One of them gives a story in which he tells that people intially had two heads and four hand and arms, till Zeus seprated them and that now we yearm for our 'other half'. This last view accepts homsexuallity (for orher halfs were not always of opposite sex) as natural which is adorable given it is still facing so many prejudices
Socrates' opionon which he adopted from a lady when he was young, is best in the middle part where he proves (so to say) that love is yearning for possession of good (and then maintaing that possession) bacause possessing good gives one happiness. There is nothing platonic about love as far as he is concenred. Love is selfish as it desires immorality. Infact he expands the defination to so enormous levels that almost every act is seen as act of love.
The first and last one-eighth parts are rather redundant though, merely containing casuals conversations and a drunk's praises of Socrates.
The dialogue is full of a diverse variety of myths offered by different people which, given that subject is love, are all very poetic in nature. The views forwarded are quite liberal - one of them forgives lover everything, another calls love a mean or unions - love being offspring of god of riches and godess of poverty; yet another called Love first of all gods who destroyed chaos on his qppearance and so on. The concept of Platonic love is only hinted with out naming it as one of two kinds of love.
One of them gives a story in which he tells that people intially had two heads and four hand and arms, till Zeus seprated them and that now we yearm for our 'other half'. This last view accepts homsexuallity (for orher halfs were not always of opposite sex) as natural which is adorable given it is still facing so many prejudices
Socrates' opionon which he adopted from a lady when he was young, is best in the middle part where he proves (so to say) that love is yearning for possession of good (and then maintaing that possession) bacause possessing good gives one happiness. There is nothing platonic about love as far as he is concenred. Love is selfish as it desires immorality. Infact he expands the defination to so enormous levels that almost every act is seen as act of love.
The first and last one-eighth parts are rather redundant though, merely containing casuals conversations and a drunk's praises of Socrates.
chou520's review against another edition
5.0
this was a.. fun, if not mildly insane, introduction to plato. sometimes philosophy is a group of inebriated guys discussing at length the merits and vices of love!
my favorite speeches included:
aristophanes, who proposes that humans were originally bound together as one, until zeus split them apart. thus, love is a subconscious yearning for our other half. how romantic <3
phaedrus, who says that the strength of love is the blind willingness that comes with it to surrender ourselves to its whims. at one point, he condemns orpheus for his inability to yield to death for eurydice. interesting take..
and alkibiades, who pretty much complains for several pages about being friendzoned by socrates. the intense sexual vigor that man seemed to inspire in these people is really a mystery to me.
overall, loved it!
my favorite speeches included:
aristophanes, who proposes that humans were originally bound together as one, until zeus split them apart. thus, love is a subconscious yearning for our other half. how romantic <3
phaedrus, who says that the strength of love is the blind willingness that comes with it to surrender ourselves to its whims. at one point, he condemns orpheus for his inability to yield to death for eurydice. interesting take..
and alkibiades, who pretty much complains for several pages about being friendzoned by socrates. the intense sexual vigor that man seemed to inspire in these people is really a mystery to me.
overall, loved it!
leoreadssmut's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
For LGBT+ history nerds this is required reading but please read the trigger list before you pick it up the reviewer here tells all the triggers for this dialogue.
janacutie's review against another edition
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
5.0
4lbxrtoii's review against another edition
5.0
Couldn't take Aristophanes seriously (of course he's the comedian), also I would have hated to deliver my speech before Socrates (RIP Agathon, aka the first victim of the socratic method), and loved how the principle authority on delivering the concept of desire and by extension love was a woman Socrates encountered (DIOTEMA SLAYYYYED!?!?)
brain_z's review against another edition
challenging
funny
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
I can scantily determine which is better - that Plato wrote one of the most fascinating discourse on love, or that it transitioned into a fanfic about his teacher.
pastabae's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Ahh ~love~ :)
Main take aways:
1) Socrates hot
2) Socrates gay
3) Socrates hot hot HOT
There’s some other stuff about the concept ~love~ n stuff which is also nifty (it’s the main part of the book actually).
This book is a big win for the lovers!
Main take aways:
1) Socrates hot
2) Socrates gay
3) Socrates hot hot HOT
There’s some other stuff about the concept ~love~ n stuff which is also nifty (it’s the main part of the book actually).
This book is a big win for the lovers!