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14 years ago @ Socratic Politics in D... - Steeped in Shadows - T... · 0 replies · +1 points

Then I think i have been making this mistake for more than ten years. Certainly if Plato did not claim it, then my argument would make no sense at all. I am really sorry about it.

14 years ago @ Socratic Politics in D... - Honing the Metaphor - ... · 0 replies · +1 points

I remembered how we compare ourself with the "linking jar". It was probably one of the most interesting, as well as the most descriptive metaphors I have ever heard in my life.
We also have a discussion in the winged charioteer metaphor in class, in which we know how socrates distinguished good and evil- that they are twines we cannot separate. He thinks that good is attached to bad and what we are trying to do is not to get ride of the bad, but to gain as much as good as we can to perfect ourself.

14 years ago @ Socratic Politics in D... - Steeped in Shadows - T... · 2 replies · 0 points

Plato claims that human beings are the standard of everything. in other words, we think something is "just" or "unjust" based on our own opinion purely, which is very biased and have remarkable limits. Nietzsche further comments on this idea, he says that if we are flies, then we would think everything is "just" or "unjust" from a fly's perspective. the video left me wondering: is there a absolute just in this world?

14 years ago @ Socratic Politics in D... - So...whats the point? ... · 0 replies · +1 points

I thought that maybe this book is talking about the different views of what love is. this seems to be the topic of every speech. Plato also indirectly appeared in this book, when he makes Alcibiades rush in wastedly in the end- and the end always plays an important role in plays and novels. especially when every dialogue is good and has nothing wrong.
As Josh mentioned, there is an importance to Alcibiades concluding the Symposium. he is the follower of Socrates (actually i think he is the lover of socrates because he is the one who insists in sexually relationship and socrates is the one who refuses it). moreover, when socrates is the only one who does not drink, he is the most wasted one. they are really opposite and i think plato really hides something behind it.

14 years ago @ Socratic Politics in D... - Where\'d all the women... · 0 replies · +1 points

I totally agree with you.
it seems as if women rarely plays an role in greek society neither economically nor politically. the reason for this might be it is actually man who create history and controls woman. In Symposium, this is clearly presented as Pausanias describes love. He mainly distinguishes the "heavenly Aphrodite" and "common Aphrodite"(180d). Interestingly, he spends a paragraph talking how the heavenly Aphrodite has nothing to do with women, and how the "darlings" are all male. Besides, because the heavenly one is much older, the darlings she chooses are much stronger and cleverer. He claims that " those who are inspired by this love are oriented towards the male, cherishing what is by nature stronger and more intelligent"(181c). as i read his speech, i could not stop thinking: why are you discriminate women? isn't the one who give birth to you a woman????

14 years ago @ Socratic Politics in D... - Eros is not "good"? - ... · 0 replies · +1 points

this question is answered by Diotima, who initially agrees with Agothon but then switched to Socrates, when asks socrates "don't say that what isn't beautiful is necessarily ugly, or what isn't good is necessarily bad"(202c). Theis is because of the existence of "correct opinion"(202c) is the grey area between "knowledge"(202a), or having a good opinion with supportive evidences, and "ignorant", or having a good opinion without why it is good. They conclude that love is "demonic between god and mortal"(203a). It is between "knowledge" and "ignorant", which makes him want to be intelligent. Forth, love is the desire of having something good forever. Then they talk how great love is for pages and discuss how it helps people to be good. In the end, people will find that love is forever and beautiful- not beautiful in appearance.

14 years ago @ Socratic Politics in D... - Aristophanes and his d... · 0 replies · +1 points

i think the end of this dialogue can answer your question, " why is Socrates found in this crowd?"
at the end, socrates is the only one who is not undrunk, and left alone. this clearly shows that he id different from the others, who is drunk, or is having some fun.

14 years ago @ Socratic Politics in D... - The Ugly Truth - Socra... · 0 replies · +1 points

i am sorry to point out that it is actually Diotima who says that quote- maybe i pay so much attention on her gender (she's the only female here!) that I almost memorizes whatever she says.

I think that Diotima not merely talks about love here. more importantly, she is talking about the beauty of the soul. She encourage us to talk with this kind of soul because it "make young people better"(210c). If we can accomplish it, then we can proceed to learn the "beauty in particle endeavors and in laws and traditions and to see that all beauty is related."(210c). In other words, she talks about the greatest form of beauty, which almost contains all kind of beauty in every aspect. That is why she thinks that "the beauty connected with the body is of little importance. (210c) " and if he wants, he could be "led to examples of knowledge in order that he may see in turn the beauty of knowledge and no longer look upon what is limited to an individual case as being beautiful"(210d).

I think she is also addressing what philosophy really is here- or maybe i just think too much. for me, what she talks about beauty is also about philosophy. she thinks that there is a greater form of beauty which links everything together and over-powers the appearance, I also believe it could be apply to philosophy.

14 years ago @ Socratic Politics in D... - Socrates the Champ - S... · 0 replies · +1 points

when everyone else's drunk, why shouldn't him?
if the whole world is crazy or drunk, why shouldn't him drunk and go crazy?

this is what i thought immediately after i read your post. those questions not only distinguishes socrates from the others, but also reveal one of the themes. first, it put socrates in a higher place than the others. we all know drunk is not good, thus it helps to foreshadow and make us agree more on his speech than the others. second, it tells about the characteristics of socrates: he is totally free of alcohol, or enjoyment we like. this gives a reason for his view of love: he likes spiritual love, or soul mates, other than sexual relationship. this is clearly what he talks in his speech. after all, plato is really a great author.

14 years ago @ Socratic Politics in D... - Perspectives - Socrati... · 0 replies · +1 points

This is why later, in the second speech, the delivers argues that there is actually two different goddess of love, the heavenly one and the earthly one from 180e to 182a. he thinks that the heavenly one is good and respectable, however the earthly one, which "ordinary human beings love", is very bad. what you are talking about clearly belongs to the earthly one. this is why he says, "when an action is done nobly and correctly, it becomes nobel and beautiful, but if not done correctly, it becomes shameful. so, loving and love are not in every case noble and deserving of praise."

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