The Symposium

byPlato, Christopher Gill (Introducer), Christopher Gill (Translator), Christopher Gill (Notes by)
In the course of a lively drinking party, a group of Athenian intellectuals exchange views on eros, or desire. From their conversation emerge a series of subtle reflections on gender roles, sex in society and the sublimation of basic human instincts. The discussion culminates in a radical challenge to conventional views by Plato's mentor, Socrates, who advocates transcendence through spiritual love. The Symposium is a deft interweaving of different viewpoints and ideas about the nature of love - as a response to beauty, a cosmic force, a motive for social action and as a means of ethical education.

About Plato

Details
  • Imprint: Penguin Classics
  • ISBN: 9780140449273
  • Length: 144 pages
  • Dimensions: 197mm x 9mm x 129mm
  • Weight: 113g
  • Price: £9.99