The Symposium Part Two: Agathon, Socrates, and Alcibiades

Two Guys Searching For Truth On The Road That Never Ends...

Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on earth - Fyodor Dostoevsky (Crime and Punishment)

In this episode we continue our discussion as the second part, in a two part series, of Plato's Symposium. As we mentioned in the first part, the Symposium consists of a gathering of people, including Socrates in this instance, who took turns giving speeches devoted to the God of Love, Eros. Each person would go around giving their own take on what they believe love is and how that relates to the God of Love, with each similar, but importantly different from the speech before it. Like the first part, we discuss issues of love, sexuality, cultural influence on love, and even Socrates' practice of standing meditation. After speaking about Alciabiades and Socrates, and their relationship from the battlefield to the moment the symposium was taking place, we also talk briefly about Diotima and her role in Plato's Symposium and of Plato's philosophy more generally.

Always feel free to let us know what you think, or if you have any episode requests. We would love to hear from you! Thank you for listening and we’ll see you next time as we search for truth on the road that never ends!