ipl-logo

Alcibiades Speech On Ladder Of Love

1745 Words7 Pages

Minh Nguyen.
Forms of Love.
First rotation essay.
Seminar leader: Marcella Perrett.
28-2-2015
Question :1. What is the significance of Alcibiades and his speech in the Symposium as a whole? Make sure to support your interpretation with evidence from the text.
Alcibiades´s speech is an important part of the Symposium, because it serves as a companion to Socrates´s speech that precedes it, which is the Ladder of Love. The Ladder of Love is a highly complex, abstract treatise about beauty, which bring up the idea that love is about pursuing philosophy and the beautiful things, not sexual intercourse. But Plato must have known the Ladder of Love alone is not enough to deliver this idea. It will be scorned and rejected by everyone.He opt, instead, …show more content…

First, he must love a body. Then he must realize that beauty is a characteristics of all bodies, and love bodies in general, and then move on to loving the souls/ the minds. But he must not love a specific mind, rather a set of patterns that exist in many minds, which should lead him to love beautiful pursuit and laws. He must then love sciences and philosophy, and finally, beauty itself. If he gets there, he could then use the environment to “give birth to and cherish true virtue“(212A), and “if it is possible for any human being, to become immortal as well“(212A). He will be able to keep the knowledge of the good …show more content…

This could mean that Socrates had understood, or at least on the way to understanding what is the good and how to obtain it. This interpretation also explain Socrates´s behavior, as recounted by Alcibiades. Socrates spend most of his time either thinking(220D), or talking and philosophizing with others(221D, 222E).He seem to show extreme calmness and unrivaled self control( 221B). He does not desire physical beauty, money,power, or anything else that Alcibiades might be interested in(216E), and seem to only be concerned about giving speeches and

Show More
Related
697 Words | 3 Pages

“The Assayer” is a text written by Galileo Galilei in 1623. I intend to analyze a section from Galileo’s “The Assayer.” My analysis will cover the text’s five elements of the rhetorical triangle. The five elements of the rhetorical triangle include the speaker, occasion, audience, message, and purpose.

Read More
1175 Words | 5 Pages

It became clearer for Socrates when Euthyphro replied “What is dear to God is pious, what is not is impious.” It was showing that for Euthyphro piousness is related to the

Read More
625 Words | 3 Pages

Erick Huerta Ms.Reid English 2 23 March 2023 Janie’s Search for Love The topic of love can never truly be determined in one category as we as individuals have different preferences. Zora Neale Hurston’s

Read More
111 Words | 1 Pages

In general, I do agree with your analysis, Socrates intentions were to leave a mark in society. In other words, to have individuals then and now take some time to “think” and seek greater knowledge. In my opinion, I can have concluded that his argument in trial serve not just as a plead to prove his innocence but as an invitation to follow his philosophy. Plato’s documentation of that event proves that Socrates did not die in vain that some was hearing his words and has cause conscience of themselves. Additionally, it can be seen that Socrates came to the wisdom of knowing himself and defending that knowledge to the

Read More
298 Words | 2 Pages

One could also argue that Socrates seemed to want the truth, not so much for others but for his own well being. As oppose to King,

Read More
1678 Words | 7 Pages

The significance with the first teaching and the unexamined life quote go hand in hand. By questioning and looking at things through the way he wants to live his life he is at harmony with himself. By examining people, places, or questions he is living a life to which brings him peace. Socrates didn’t have the riches or wasn’t high up on the totem pull in Athens. What he did have though was the happiness and knowledge he thought to be enough for a life worth

Read More
1314 Words | 6 Pages

His goal was to make the court understand his beliefs prove which type of knowledge is worth knowing. When talking about the wise man he examined, Socrates said, “Neither of us actually knows what Beauty and Goodness are, but he thinks he knows, even though he doesn’t; whereas I neither know nor think I know.” This shows that Socrates proved he was more wise than the titled wise man because instead of faking the knowledge, that wasn’t too important, he accepted that he did not know which would result in him then seeking for

Read More
560 Words | 3 Pages

Socrates was a man that was in search of the truth about wisdom. However, it became more then just a search when it brought him to trail of accusations. As a philosopher Socrates was known to overdrawn ideas and to frustrate anyone he was talking to. He is always in search of a better idea and for anyone who has experienced Socrates could assume he is making up his own actualities. This becomes evident in “ Apology” written by Plato, where Socrates was brought in charges for corrupting the minds of the youth and not believing in the Gods.

Read More
947 Words | 4 Pages

In this second quote, Socrates is saying that he possesses a certain wisdom given to him by the god to spread his philosophy and belief in the city of Athens. Here is a third piece of evidence to support my point from “ The Apology”. “Afterwards I went to talk to one person after another, sensing how odious I had become to them. I was sad and fearful; but I felt it was necessary to make the god’s work my highest priority.” (Lines 56-58)

Read More
1476 Words | 6 Pages

Response Paper 1: Plato’s Symposium Plato’s symposium wad seven speeches, but two that really made me think were from Phaedrus and Aristophanes. Phaedrus has mentioned that love is the oldest god. It is the highest good that tries to guide men. He tries to explain that love is so strong that is even exceeds honor and has the ability to please the gods. Many people have tried to fight for love and by fighting in the name of love the gods are honored.

Read More
636 Words | 3 Pages

All Socrates has done is tell the truth. This can be seen in line 40 of ¨The Apology¨ when he states ¨And then I tried to show that while he thought he was wise,he was no such thing. But that just turned him and many of those with me against me.¨In this line Socrates is seeing the expression of a person when they hear what they didn't want to hear,the truth. So they are mad, which is our natural response to when someone tells us something we don't wanna hear. This piece of evidence is relevant to the claim because it shows how when Socrates tried

Read More
1396 Words | 6 Pages

The short story “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love” by Raymond Carver is about four friends- Laura, Mel, Nick, and Terri, gathering on a table and having a conversation. As they start to drink, the subject abruptly comes to “love.” Then, the main topic of their conversation becomes to find the definition of love, in other word to define what exactly love means. However, at the end, they cannot find out the definition of love even though they talk on the subject for a day long. Raymond Carver in “What We Talk about When We Talk about Love” illustrates the difficulty of defining love by using symbols such as heart, gin, and the sunlight.

Read More
1024 Words | 5 Pages

In the Symposium, Alcibiades asserts that Socrates is the only man who has made him feel shame. Alcibiades’ shame seems to indicate that he has reflected on his actions and has learned something from Socrates. However, I believe that he is not ascending towards the beautiful nor has he learn anything from Socrates as his desire takes precedent over love for Beauty. This essay will first analyze the role of shame as self-awareness in the Ladder of Love. Next, through two accounts recalled by Alcibiades in the Symposium, it will highlight the importance of shame in the Ladder of Love.

Read More
969 Words | 4 Pages

Philosophical thinking uses three acts of the mind: understanding, judgement, and reason. In order to have a sound argument all of the concepts must be applied. Socrates didn’t want to please the people by saying or doing what they wanted him to say or do. Socrates thought it was not important to seek wealth or fame; he was concerned with truth and virtue. He wanted to create an impact on humanity by relying on the truth and shining a light in people’s lives, even if they put him on trial.

Read More
1028 Words | 5 Pages

But their thought is unable to see the nature of the beautiful itself or to be passionately devoted to it” (Abel 134). I think I tend to agree with him on this one, people who love and are attracted to outside beauty are unable to see the actual beauty. And that is the beauty of soul and nature. And in today’s world, most of us value and admire someone based on their appearance rather than their inner goodness. And also Rene Descartes in Meditations on First Philosophy says, “Whatever I have

Read More

More about Alcibiades Speech On Ladder Of Love

Related Topics

Open Document