Symposium and Phaedrus - Softcover

Plato

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1616402989 ISBN 13: 9781616402983

Publisher: Cosimo Classics, 2010

Synopsis

This combined book of two of Plato's most famous dialogues, Symposium and Phaedrus, contemplates the theme of love, looking at the phenomenon through various philosophical lenses. Symposium wonders about the nature, origins, and meaning of love, especially about the relationship of love and beauty. Phaedrus discusses the psychological background of love, comparing those who are in love or have love with those who do not. Both works offer insight into Platonic doctrine in the well-known and easy-to-read Jowett translation. One of the greatest Western philosophers who ever lived, Plato (c. 428-347 B.C.) was a student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle. Plato was greatly influenced by Socrates' teachings, often using him as a character in scripts and plays (Socratic dialogues), which he used to demonstrate philosophical ideas. Plato's dialogues were and still are used to teach a wide range of subjects, including politics, mathematics, rhetoric, logic, and, naturally, philosophy.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

It has been said that, after the Bible, Plato's dialogues are the most influential books in Western culture. And of the dialogues, the "Symposium is the most delightful and accessible, requiring no special knowledge of ancient Greek philosophy or customs. Dramatizing a party in fifth-century B.C. Athens, the deceptively unassuming "Symposium introduces--in the guise of convivial after-dinner conversation--profound ideas about the nature of love. In "Phaedrus, here published together with the "Symposium, Plato discusses the place of eloquence in expounding truth. In both dialogues, Socrates plays the leading role, by turns teasing, arguing, analyzing, joking, inspiring, and cajoling his followers into understanding ideas that have remained central to Western thought through the centuries.

About the Author:

Richard Rutherford is a Fellow of Christ Church, Oxford.

Tom Griffith's translation of Phaedrus is published here for the first time. His translation of the Symposium (1986) has been newly revised for this edition.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cosimo Classics
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1616402989
• ISBN 13: 9781616402983
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 98