Agathon in the Symposium: A Prelude to Philosophy
Keywords:
Agathon, Socrates, PhilosophyAbstract
In this article I will try to show how Agathon’s speech (194e-197e) can be read as a sort of prelude to the conceptions later sustained by Socrates and Diotima, contrary to what we commonly see being defended by most of the interpreters of the Symposiun. In order to prove my point I will first question one of the reasons that led scholars to reject the tragedian’s speech as a source of right opinions about love: the association made by Socrates between Agathon’s discourse and Gorgias’ rhetoric. Secondly, I will argue that the content of the poet’s speech is in many ways aligned with what we see Socrates maintaining in his own speech in praise of Erōs, despite the Gorgianic style adopted by him.
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References
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