course material

1. Plato’s Symposium
MLA style -pages numbered – a minimum of 1600-1800 words -each answer 3.4-4 pages -7-
8 pages in total -title page included please -very specific thesis statements (then persuade) -
some short quotations in support are needed -essay type questions, will need to be clear
and organized -for every first order sentence/claim (“Socrates claims that…”) there must be
two second order sentences/reasons in support/clarification of meaning (“what Socrates
meant here is that…”) -answers aim to analyze text by explaining argument -show
understanding of Plato’s reasoning Questions: 1) Diatoma’s discussion about desire,
immortality, and the souls creativity: Critically analyze Diatoma’s arguments concerning the
nature of desire and the objects of desire, explaining the difference between desire (eros,
love) and wanting to possess the good forever. Why is the purpose of desire (love) giving
birth towards beauty? What does she mean by the “whole of love”? (Plato, 51) Why is love
the desire for immortality? Why do those with pregnant souls seek out individuals who are
beautiful? What does the soul create? How is love related to education? 2) Aristophanes and
Plato: Aristophane’s position on love is relatively straightforward. He argues that love is the
desire for the perfect union and wholeness that we, as mortals, lack. Critically analyze
Aristophane’s conception of the nature of love, then compare and contrast his view with the
position on love that Plato defends through the persona of Diatoma. According to
Aristophanes, what is the human situation, and what can love attain? How does Plato
(Diatoma) answer these questions? Note: All the specific questions do not have to be
answered, they are just there to provide possible approaches to the topic. (Prof. also said
that a topic is not a thesis).#Platos #Symposium