Platos The Symposium Essay Example For Students

Platos The Symposium Essay Platos The SymposiumIn Greek culture around the time of Plato, the perfect ideal person was considered. Platos idea that there was a perfect world of ideas affected this pieces subject and thesubjects action. Many works of his time period were sculptures that were meant to beviewed from all angles, attempting to be a closer match to that of the ideal. This idea that theideal world was real and what matter not the physical also effect the actions depicted inmany works of this time period. Most of the works are depicting an ideal Greek personperforming a noble act not just a common act. Many of the works are also just a still imageof a figure from a single moment in time. All of the male sculptures appear in the nudebecause they represent a perfect man with nothing to hide. These are some of the artisticconventions that were influenced by Platos ideas. There are many different aspects ofGreek art that can be accredited to Plato for creating. Among them was the Perfect figurethat resented the ideal person that existed in the world of ideas. The definition of what aperfect person was devel oped by Plato. Plato believed that the physical world did not matter. It was the form in the idealworld and this value of form and thought can be seen throughout many of the works of art. Plato said that in the physical world we did not see the real object we only saw a shadow ofit. The art of this time period showed form and subject that were far more perfect than onecould actually exist in the real would in an attempt to represent the world of ideas. All ofthese aspects together confirm that Plato has a major influence on Greek art of the time. Throughout human existence, the subject of love has also been of great fascination tomany. Questions such as : What is love? and What is the work of love? are some ofgreat questions of the universe that has transcended time; yet with no absolute answers. There is perhaps no correct answers to the phenomena of love. It exists in many strata. It isperpetually subject to debate, for we all are experts of love in our own rights. In TheSymposium, Plato gave accounts of speeches from different speakers. Yet the focus of thisessay is on Aristophanes and Socrates. Their explanations of love and critical comments towill be answered to these questions: What is love? How do lovers select theirbeloveds? and What is the work of love? What is love? In his speech, Aristophanes engages in the discussion of love,encompassing human nature as whole rather than individualistic aspects. According to amyth, we were originally created as a single being, united with our beloved. As pairs, wewere quite powerful and chaotic, such that the god had to split us into two. Thereafter, lifebecame pursuit, a pursuit for the other half, a pursuit for wholeness, to be complete. Andthesis what Aristophanes defines as love. He believes that love is innate: love is born intoevery human being. He is expressing that the phenomenon of love is as natural andinherent to us as breathing itself. Like other amenities of life, Love fulfills us. To bein love is to see the other individual as a special complement to ones existence. Socrates, onthe other hand, defines love as the desire to possess good and beautifulentities, which he presently lacks. By a dialectical method, questioning Agathon, hemanifests that love cannot presently possess the object of affection. Even when he desireswhat he has, what he really desire is the preservation of what he now has in time to come,so that he will have it then. It follows then, that he wants, rather than has the good. Thus,Love itself is not beautiful. This however, does not imply that Love is ugly or evil. Rather,Love is in between; just as there is something between wisdom and ignorance- theright opinion. He is in between mortal and immortal. Thus, Love is an intermediate spiritwho interprets between gods and men. Although there seems to be great disparity betweenthe two, Aristophanes and Socrates speeches actually merge in their paths. Is it not humaninclination to desire goodand beauty? Is it not then, that to have good and beauty is toembrace it body and soul and never wanting to depart it? Thus, the desire to unite with theother half is analogous, if not the same to the desire to possess good and beauty, but in abroader scope. Aristophanes and Socrates explanations of love greatly mirror the nature ofour existence today. Love is the knot that binds two people together. Love is havingpossession of freedom, which lies, perhaps, in the highest scale of goodness. The Americansare notorious for their freedom. They have it now. And it is certain that they want to alwayspossess it. How do lovers select their beloveds? The subjects and objects in Aristophanesschema of love is confined solely to human beings. The question is then, how do loversselect their beloveds? According toAristophanes, they choose their original other half. A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies EssayThroughout their speeches, Socrates and Aristophanes speak of a recurrent theme oflove; its ultimate end beatitude. Though, the speeches are set in different regard andideologies, they are in many respect, similar. That is , to acquire or unite with good andbeauty to embrace happiness. The speech of Aristophanes indeed, foreshadows that ofSocrates. In Greek culture around the time of Plato, the perfect ideal person was also considered. The piece has a great amount of detail and its weight is shifted from perfectbalance. The subject is depicted in a performing a perfect act. Platos idea that there was aperfect world of ideas affected this pieces subject and the subjects action. Many works ofthis time period were sculptures that were meant to be viewed from all angles, attempting tobe a closer match to that of the ideal. This idea that the ideal world was real and what matternot the physical also effect the actions depicted in many works of this time period. Most ofthe works are depicting an ideal Greek person performing a noble act not just a mundanecommon act. Many of the works are also just a still image of a figure from a single momentin time. All of the male sculptures appear in the nude because they represent a perfect manwith nothing to hide. These are some of the artistic conventions that were influenced byPlatos ideas. T here are many different aspects of Greek art that can be accredited to Platofor creating. Among them was the Perfect figure that resented the ideal person that existedin the world of ideas. The definition of what a perfect person was developed by Plato. Platobelieved that the physical world did not matter it was the form in the ideal world and thisvalue of form and thought can be seen throughout many of the works of art. Plato said thatin the physical world we did not see the real object we only saw a shadow of it. The art ofthis time period showed form and subject that were far more perfect than one could actuallyexist in the real would in an attempt to represent the world of ideas. All of these aspectstogether confirm that Plato has a major influence on Greek art of the time. Philosophy