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Prefiguring the Apology trial, Alcibiades accuses Socrates of hiding something godlike within himself. The other speechmakers are jurors for this impromptu trial. At the end they are merely amused by… Click to show full abstract
Prefiguring the Apology trial, Alcibiades accuses Socrates of hiding something godlike within himself. The other speechmakers are jurors for this impromptu trial. At the end they are merely amused by Alcibiades's rantings as a spurned lover. But is Alcibiades right that Socrates is, based on Diotima's teachings, like love represented by Eros, a messenger between the gods and humans? And, based on the common theme in the love speeches that love involves an exchange, does Socrates owe Diotima something for her instructions? As a self-proclaimed practitioner of her elevating love, does he indeed enact it? Is he guilty of hubris?
Journal Title: Philosophy and Literature
Year Published: 2017
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