Day 16: The Symposium by Plato.

Day 16: The Symposium is a philosophical text written by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato around 385-370BCE.  This work is a compelling exploration of the nature of love, beauty, and desire.

The Symposium takes the form of a series of speeches given by various characters during a banquet held

in honor of the tragedian Agathon. Each speech offers a different perspective on the nature and significance of love, ultimately providing a multifaceted and thought-provoking view on the subject.

The dialogue takes place at a banquet hosted by the playwright Agathon, where a group of Athenian intellectuals, including Socrates, gather to discuss the nature of love. As they drink and converse, each participant is asked to deliver a speech in praise of Eros, the Greek god of love.

The first to speak, Phaedrus emphasizes the role of love in inspiring courage and self-sacrifice. He argues that love can lead individuals to perform heroic acts and even lay down their lives for others.

Pausanias distinguishes between two types of love: Common Love and Heavenly Love. He contends that while Common Love is purely physical and driven by desire, Heavenly Love is intellectual, spiritual, and seeks the betterment of the beloved.

A physician, Eryximachus extends the concept of love beyond human relationships, applying it to the natural world, music, and medicine. He suggests that harmony and balance, both in the body and the universe, are maintained through love.

The renowned comic playwright presents an imaginative and mythical account of the origin of love. He tells a story of how humans were originally double beings, split apart by the gods. Love, he claims, is the search for our other half, a longing for unity and wholeness.

The host of the banquet, Agathon praises love as the source of all virtues and the embodiment of beauty. He asserts that love brings out the best in people, inspiring them to strive for excellence and moral goodness.

The central character of the dialogue, Socrates questions the previous speakers' ideas, ultimately presenting a different understanding of love. Drawing from his conversation with the wise woman Diotima, Socrates introduces the concept of the Ladder of Love.

This ascent from physical attraction to the appreciation of beauty in the soul, and finally to the love of the Form of Beauty itself, represents the path towards enlightenment and the ultimate goal of philosophy.

Through the diverse perspectives of its characters, Plato engages the reader in a lively and thought-provoking discussion that remains relevant and compelling to this day.