The Symposium

In The Symposium, Plato delivers a complete and complex philosophy of love, centred on Socrates' speech in which sensuality is transcended and the play moves from the sensible to the ideal world. This new edition of the classic text includes a new introduction, explanatory notes and bibliography.

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In this text Plato uses a dinner party as a scene for a series of speeches by the guests. From these there emerges a complete and complex philosophy of love. The pivot of the argument is Socrates' speech in which sensuality is transcended and we move from the sensible world to the ideal world. Just as the preceding speeches are vital to the theme and scheme of progression, so to is the character sketch of Socrates by Alcibiades which rounds off the dialogue.