# Symposium explained — Dialogues

> Chapter companion for Dialogues by Plato.

## What happens

A series of speeches on the nature of love delivered at a banquet, culminating in Socrates' account of Diotima's teachings on the ascent to the Form of Beauty.

## Themes in this chapter

### Love and Friendship

The entire dialogue explores the nature and purpose of love, from physical desire to philosophical ascent.

### Knowledge and Ignorance

Socrates contrasts his own ignorance with Diotima's wisdom, illustrating the path from ignorance to knowledge of the Forms.

## Character check-ins

### Socrates

Delivers the central speech on love, recounting Diotima's wisdom.

### Agathon

Hosts the symposium and gives a speech praising love as young and beautiful.

### Aristophanes

Gives a comedic speech on love as the search for one's other half.

### Diotima

Socrates' teacher on love, though not present at the banquet.

### Alcibiades

Arrives late and delivers a speech praising Socrates' virtue and character.

## Key lines

> Love is the desire for the perpetual possession of the good.

Love is the longing to always have what is good.

_Socrates summarizes Diotima's definition of love._

> He who has been instructed thus far in the things of love... will suddenly behold a beauty wonderful in its nature.

One who has been guided in love will at last see a beauty that is eternal and perfect.

_Describes the final vision of the Form of Beauty._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/dialogues_se/chapters/symposium
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/dialogues_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/dialogues_se/chapters