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The Credibility Of Eros In Plato's Republic

1096 Words5 Pages

In setting, content, and purpose, Plato’s Symposium as well as his Republic are quite dramatically different works, particularly in their independent suggestions of Eros as a force for good and justice. The purpose of this stark juxtaposition, rather than to simply baffle his readers (which may, on the whole, not be far from the general object of this master philosopher’s intentions) is to use the two respective works as corresponding halves to a whole explanation. Symposium acts as a complement to Republic. It is the missing half, the fullness of the empty void that is the poetry, sex, and erotics that are expelled from the Republic. Therefore, in order to grasp an adequate understanding of Plato’s opinion of Eros and its proper function and role in society, it is necessary to pair these works and view them in tandem, to explore the relationship between the two rather than attempt to decipher the meaning of the individual content. In this essay, I ask you, reader, to consider yourself as explorer, detective, and puzzle master, and urge you to accompany me on my quest to …show more content…

The Symposium takes place at an intimate gathering, a small party, the guest list of which includes only several, incredibly intellectual and sophisticated scholars and friends. It is private, comfortable, free for expression without fear of public judgment. There is an air of affectionate drunkenness. The Republic, on the other hand, is set on the street, out in the open, in the harbor of the Piraeus. This lack of privacy is again seen in the description of the lives of the guardians, in addition to their complete abstinence from drink. It is during the day, rather than at night, and many strangers and commoners flock toward and from the religious festival taking place. There is an air of dry

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