Archive for the ‘Non-Fiction: Philosophy’ Category

The Symposium by Plato

ISBN: 0140449272
144 pages
published in 385 BC
August 3rd – August 8th.
You can buy this book at this link.

This is the first bit of Greek philosophy I’ve ever read, and I can definitely see this as being something I can get into. Easily. The dialogues were interesting – not just because of what they discussed but because of what you learned about each person at the symposium.

I think I enjoyed Aristophanes’ speech the most, and not just because I was familiar with the story from the song in Hedwig And The Angry Inch. Although he was a comic, and I suppose it was supposed to be taken in a comedic fashion, the entire premise of the story he told was so captivating that you wish you could believe in things like that. I’m pretty securely atheist, but I still have a deep interest in mythology and things like that. I think I mostly just enjoy good, convincing storytelling and that is what this was to me. It’s not very often that deep, emotional feelings can be explained in such a simple, fantastical way.

I also found Alcibiades speech at the end of the symposium slightly hilarious. It was SO obvious that he was madly in love with Socrates. In fact, the entire thing just reminded me SO much of so many of the screeching gay boys I know that I couldn’t help but laugh. So jealous and in denial.

Anyway, it was altogether a really great read. I would recommend it to most people, but moreso to homosexuals just because of the interesting historical value it has. It was a quick read, but I sort of paced myself because I wanted to concentrate on what each person said. Also, the introduction was sort of long in my edition.