ENGLISH

Plato’s Symposium: A Critical Guide

By Pierre Destrée , Zina Giannopoulou

Book information

Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
2017
ISBN
110711005X, 9781107110052
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
2 MB (2077728 bytes)
Series
Cambridge Critical Guides
Pages
x+270\281
Time added
2018-03-26 03:33:51
Greek & Roman;Philosophy;Politics & Social Science

Description

Plato's Symposium is an exceptionally multi-layered dialogue. At once a historical document, a philosophical drama that enacts abstract ideas in an often light-hearted way, and a literary masterpiece, it has exerted an influence that goes well beyond the confines of philosophy. The essays in this volume, by leading scholars, offer detailed analyses of all parts of the work, focusing on the central and much-debated theme of erōs or 'human desire' - which can refer both to physical desire or desire for happiness. They reveal thematic continuities between the prologue and the various speeches as well as between the speeches themselves, and present a rich collection of contrasting yet complementary readings of Diotima's speech. The volume will be invaluable for classicists and philosophers alike, and for all who are interested in one of Plato's most fascinating and challenging dialogues.

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