what is the topic of conversation at the symposium? Who is hosting this party?
Agathon is the host. reveal new layers of meaning in homoerotic love and discussing why eros is superior to philia. Specifically, Eryximachus proposes the topic of discussion to regard the god of love.
according to phaedrus' theory of love, why is eros superior to philia
phaedrus describes the god of love to be one of the most ancient (descending from chaos and splitting from the Earth). "source of our greatest benefits, instills divine inspiration in humans; "love is the most effective in enabling human beings to acquire
according to pausanias, what distinguishes heavenly love from earthly love? What examples does he give of how love-affairs are wrongly governed? **
heavenly love = a love for the eternal and unchanging soul. earthly love = a superficial love for the changing body. ***
example of the Persian empire being a tyrannical government
** (Greeks try to prevent ruling with an iron fist) "Common love is undisc
in the speech of pausanias, what should get exchanged in the relationship between the beloved and the lover?
virtue for sexual gratification
how does eryximachus distinguish between "good" love and "bad" love? Where is it observable? ("virtue is virtuosity music as a model respond creatively to a changing environment")
good love is achieved when an individual is in a state of harmony and they desire good things. Bad love is in a state of dissimilarity when gratification is self-indulgent and superficial **** (This is observable in music? the seasons? p20)
What is Aristophanes' occupation in life?
a playwright of comedies
what does Aristophanes' myth about the origins of human nature tell us about eros? According to him, what is the goal of erotic love?
the goal of erotic love is the search for wholeness ("'love' is the name for the desire and pursuit of wholeness") (it tells us that eros is a means of finding wholeness and promotes activity rather than laziness)
Name at least 3 characteristics of Love according to Agathon's theory of love. Who at the dinner party do you think that Agathon has in mind as he discusses the nature of love?
Young, beautiful, virtuous. (attracted to things it is like) He has in mind Pausanias as the lover and himself as the beloved
what does agathon claim that he will accomplish (whereas previous speakers have failed) in his speech about eros? Does Socrates think that he is successful in this regard. Explain
claims to discuss the nature of love ("instead of praising the god, have congratulated human beings on the good things that come to them from the god. Nobody has spoken about the nature of the god himself who has given us these things. So, in the case of
Who is Diotima? What does she say about love's origins? What does that say about the nature of love?
the philosopher who taught Socrates about love. She says love's mother is poverty and love's father is resource. This means that the lover is in a perpetual state of need and attainment; it is not beautiful
On what grounds does socrates argue that love cannot be beautiful?
because love seeks what it lacks, if it were beautiful it wouldn't seek beautiful things. (if it's mother is poverty, it lacks beauty and if it's father is resource, it will be resourceful in obtaining beauty)
why is it that the gods cannot be philosophers?
***
because philosophers learn and go through experiences that will enable insight
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on what grounds does Socrates criticize Aristophanes' theory of love?
we cannot be seeking our other halves: ("love is directed neither at their half nor their whole unless...that turns out to be good" 42)
in what sense is love a pilgrimage?
it is a process in the achievement of love and virtue: ("Diotima describes a set of stages (an ascent) by which we can reach the highest form of love...movement from the physical to the mental, and the particular to the universal)
In what two general ways does Socrates assert that love desires to give birth in beauty? Explain. In what ways are humans able to give birth in beauty that animals cannot?
Love desires to give birth to beauty in mind and in body. To give birth to beauty in mind is to share ideas and accumulate knowledge which produces great ideas. To give birth in body is to have physical attraction toward someone and have sexual intercours
According to Socrates, love is an enthusiasm for what? What role does beauty play in helping us to express this enthusiasm?
Love is enthusiasm for immortality. Beauty is the promotion of reproduction.( "reproduction [is] the object of love...reproduction is the closest mortals can come to being permanently alive and immortal" 44)
Socrates believes which (metaphysical feature, special faculty, ability) separates humans from animals? Might this have something to do with what Socrates means when he says that humans conduct themselves in terms of their enthusiasm for immortality '" in
The soul separates the human from the animal (44-45). animals are more instinctual and humans have the ability to think through things before they make a decision. Because the soul has reason, we pursue something higher than reproduction
how are philosophers superior to poets, craftsmen, and politicians?
46 they are not innovative?
According to Socrates, why are men willing to die in order to obtain honor and fame? What are they really pursuing?
they are really pursing immortality. they are willing to die to obtain honor and fame because this is the sure achievement of immortality: ("the memory of their courage would last forever...it is undying virtue and glorious fame of this sort that motivate
what form of pregnancy does the homo-erotic educational relationship cultivate that the heterosexual relationship does not?
homo-erotic love cultivates birth of beauty in the mind ("men who are pregnant in body are more drawn to women...men who are pregant in mind" 46)
compare and contrast Socrates' view of the homo-erotic educational relationship with that of Pausanias? In what significant ways does Socrates disagree with Pausanias?
Pausanias believes that the relationship between the lover and beloved is an exchange of virtue for sexual gratification. Whereas Socrates believes the relationship is the attainment of immortality thorough birth of beauty in mind.
What is involved in ascending Diotima's staircase of love?
starts universal to specific. ("he should go from one to two and from two to all beautiful bodies, and from beautiful bodies to beautiful practices, and from practices to beautiful forms of learning. from forms of learning, he should end up at the form of
What role does beauty play in the philosopher's pursuit of wisdom? Explain.
it provides inspiration and insight by giving birth in mind (by means of a thought or idea)
What characterization does the Absolute form of Beauty have?
beauty isn't a means of attraction but rather an attraction to immortality (like sexual selection in biology: beauty is not the good of love, it is immortality)
What is involved with ascending Diotima's "staircase of love"? By what means does a philosopher complete this ascent?
the ascent takes us from singular bodies to universal, disembodied forms. Go from recognizing beauty from distinct - indefinite: identify all the beauty in the world: ("realize that the beauty of any one body is closely related to that of another" 48 b)
what are the 'four noble truths' given by the Buddha? Do you think that this doctrine is pessimistic? Explain
Dukkha (suffering), samud aya (the arising of dukkha), Nirodha (the cessation of dukkha), Magga (the Path: Noble Eightfold Path). Rather than pessimistic, it is realistic, they book describes how the Buddha's work was means to be "objective and realistic
what does dukkha mean? How many kinds of dukkha are there?
Dukkha means concepts that are universally acepted as suffering or pain. Dukkha as ordinary suffering (dukkha dukkha) change (viparinama-dukkha) conditioned states (samkhara dukkha)
What are the aggregates? What do the aggregates have to do with dukkha?
They are the 5 aggregates of matter. They relate to dukkha because they are the elements that complete the cycle of dukkha. Each is built off of the first aggregate beginning with senses (the 5 sense organs), sensations, perceptions, mental formation, con
How does dukkha arise?
the thirst or craving that results in rebirth which is also a constitution of greed. Of course, "according to Buddhism, everything is relevant and interdependent. Even this 'thirst'...which is considered as the cause or origin of dukkha, depends for its a
What does kama mean?
volitional action which is driven by craving (desire)
what does kamma mean?
all of our past actions (mental and physical) come together to to determine present volitional action. The fourth aggregate of mental formations "'it is volition...that I call karma. Having willed, one acts through body, speech and mind...Volition is ment
What does samkhara mean?
a trace (repeated action, like a conditioning) imprinted in the mind and body, a potential for further action which has the potential to manifest as feelings.
what does samsara mean
rebirth of traces determined by past actions. This leads to desire. Making a cycle" reincarnation, not every trace manifests but they are latent within.
what two doctrines are central to Buddhist metaphysics? What relevance do these theories have for the larger concerns motivating Buddhist Philosophy?
no-soul/no-self theory, dependent origination. These theories help Buddhist followers to understand the world in that light and achieve Nibbana (and thus just let go). *
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What does the doctrine of 'Dependent Origination' Mean? What does the doctrine have to do with the second Noble truth?
that all things emerge dependently and nothing exists independently (meaning all of the "steps" in the cycle of rebirth are dependent and grow from one another)
Recalling the wheel of suffering and rebirth, at what 2 points does the Buddha say that we should try to break free from the suffering and rebirth?
the weakest point to break the cycle of rebirth is between perception / craving, and, karmic impressions / ignorance
What does nibanna mean? Why does Rahula explain nibanna in negative terms?
nibanna is difficult to define but is translates best as the extinction of thirst, it is described in negative terms because it is the removal of desire (taking away kama: it is not created, you realize it)
What are the components of the eightfold path?
Right understanding, thought, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration which all aim at perfecting the 3 essentials of Buddhist training and discipline which are Ethical conduct, Mental Discipline, and Right Understanding
why is compassion so important for Buddhist wisdom?
compassion helps alleviate suffering: First Noble Truth and therefore putting an end to suffering.
what do Buddhists mean by "no-soul" or "no-self" theory? What 2 truths does the author discuss in relation to this doctrine?
the doctrine of no soul- anatta is "a false idea of self...this false view can be traced all the evil in the world" (51).( from the idea of the self arises desires and a need to self preserve and protect which results in suffering)
How do Plato and the Buddha respond differently to the problem of change?
the Buddha embraces it and recognizes that it will occur. Plato thinks there are certain things in life that are unchaining like a "good" or "pure" love of someone/something.
compare and contrast Plato and the Buddha in response to: "what does a thing owe its existence
Plato and the classic western view would probably agree that humans owe their existence to the gods. While the Buddhist philosophy would probably owe it to ************