Symposium

Book Review

Plato's «Symposium» is a dialogue that explores the nature of love through a series of speeches delivered at a dinner party. Critics note that the work is one of the most significant philosophical texts dedicated to the theme of love. At the center is Socrates's speech, which conveys Diotima's teachings on love as a pursuit of eternal truth and beauty. Critics emphasize that Plato uses the dialogical form to reveal various aspects of love, from physical attraction to spiritual elevation. Special attention is given to the idea of love as a path to knowledge and self-improvement. The «Symposium» is also considered an important source for understanding Platonic philosophy as a whole, especially his theory of ideas and the concept of Eros. Critics highly praise Plato's literary skill, his ability to combine philosophical depth with artistic expressiveness.