Why is Diotima a woman Essay examples - 805 Words

Diotima, Socrates great teacher from the Symposium, a work by Plato was one of the most influential women thinkers of all time, whether she was a real person or a literary fictional character. She related to Socrates the theory of love that he described to the partygoers at Agathons banquet, a celebration of Agathons victory at the competition of Dionysis in Athens and of Eros. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Before we search for the idea of why Diotima is a woman, we should first discuss a little about her. We know that, if she were an actual person, she would have been born around 470 BCE and died around 410 BCE. She might have been a priestess from Mantinea. Now if she was a real priestess or poet is uncertain. There is archaeological†¦show more content†¦For this reason women in ancient Greece seemed inferior socially. But the women were isolated in their homes and did not mix in the society of men. What the men thought may not have been that important to the women. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;We should now go on to why Diotima is a woman. Socrates consulted the Oracle at Delphi (Know thyself) so we know that it is possible that Socrates would consult a priestess. Still, knowing that doesn’t answer why Plato would select a woman to initiate Socrates into the mysteries of male, homoerotic desire. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;I have uncovered two plausible answers to this question. The first is obvious. Diotima is a woman because she is not a man. If Diotima had been portrayed as a man then Socrates would have been seen as having been initiated into the mysteries of erotic desire by an older and wiser male. This would have inevitably suggested to Plato’s contemporaries that Socrates owed his deep understanding of the nature of the erotic (Symposium 177.d) to the passionate attention of a former lover. By having a woman educate Socrates in the ways of Eros, Plato avoided the suggestion that the he was Socrates real lover. Plato wanted to rule out that he and Socrates were sexual lovers, rather than just merely platonic lovers. (Gould p.193) Plato strenuously wanted to avoid this, not only because it would have lent the stamp of Socratic approval to a social practice for which Plato himself entertained the liveliestShow MoreRelatedWhy Is Diotima a Woman? Essay825 Words   |à ‚  4 PagesDiotima, Socrates great teacher from the Symposium, a work by Plato was one of the most influential women thinkers of all time, whether she was a real person or a literary fictional character. She related to Socrates the theory of love that he described to the partygoers at Agathons banquet, a celebration of Agathons victory at the competition of Dionysis in Athens and of Eros. Before we search for the idea of why Diotima is a woman, we should first discuss a little about her. We know thatRead MoreSocrates and Love Essay912 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Symposium, written by Plato, Socrates and others engage in a dialogue in the home of Agathon on love. Instead of singing the honours (94) of love like the other participants, Socrates uses a retelling of a discussion that he had with a woman named Diotima to tell the audience of what he perceives to be the truth of love. He first speaks to Agathon in order to be on the same wavelength with him. Socrates asks Agathon a series of questions - which leads to Agathon being thoroughly confusedRead MoreLove in Platos Symposium1227 Words   |  5 Pagespoints on their definitions on love, it is a woman that makes the best definition be known. I will concentrate on the difference between the theory of Common and Heavenly love brought up by Pausanias and the important role that Diotima plays in the symposium. Pausanias brings up an excellent way to think about Love. He explains that love can be broken down into two types, that of Common and Heavenly love. The common love is that when a man and a woman join merely to satisfy their sexual desiresRead MoreIs Diotima A Man Not A Woman?1925 Words   |  8 PagesMost people believe the argument that Diotima is a woman is true solely because she is not a man. However, I find that there are other arguments that are capable of proving that Diotima is indeed a man, not a woman. To be able to explain my theory in an understandable manner, I must clearly illustrate gender roles in Ancient Greece. When it comes to women’s roles in Ancient Greece, it is safe to conclude that they were simply a symbol of inferiority when compared to men. I’ll list a few things womenRead MorePlato s Symposium, By Plato1273 Words   |  6 PagesEryximachus who states that love affects everything in the universe and that it should be protected, next we have Aristophanes, who states that the reason why love is on earth is because god has split humanity in half and that man should fear the gods and should embrace love to feel whole again, and last we have Socrates who suggests what Diotima explains that love is in the middle of two things or objects and has both characteristics. Phaedrus starts off the conversation of love stating how theRead MoreLove Is Characterized By Oedipus The King And Diotima s Definition Of Love1221 Words   |  5 Pagesunderestimated reasons of Love. Despite having different occupations, they all seem to agree on their views of love except for Socrates. Socrates communicates that Love is a god, and then decides to add that he came to his conclusion with the help of a woman named Diotima. Although their views of love are similar, they are also different and can be seen through another philosopher’s stories; Antigone and Oedipus. Socrates’ definition of love is characterized by Oedipus the King and Diotima’s definition of loveRead MoreComparison And Contrast Of The Understanding Of Love1576 Words   |  7 Pagesshe opposes and rebels unlike the other women of the time. In fact, Creon the ruler acknowledges that Antigone is rebellious and says â€Å"We must defend the men who live by law, never let some woman t riumph over us. Better to fall from power, if fall we must, at the hand of man-never be rated inferior to a woman, never.’’ (Antigone, Pg. 94, 755-760). Antigone is not only madly open about her idiosyncratic beliefs but also takes part in living by those beliefs. This makes her make harsh and confidentRead MoreForms of Love in Platos Symposium Essay2587 Words   |  11 PagesAristophanes draws attention to the origin and purposes of Love; Agathon enunciates that the correct way to present an eulogy is first to praise its nature and gifts. As the last speaker, and the most important one, Socrates connects his ideas with Diotima of Mantinea’s story of Love’s origin, nature and purpose. Different from the earlier five speakers who regard Love as an object and praise different sides of it, Socrates, referring to Diotima’s idea, considers Love as a pursuit of beauty graduallyRead MoreSocrates On The Nature Of Death Before His Execution1884 Words   |   8 Pagesspan of eternity. In his fourth argument, Socrates elaborates on the Theory of Forms. A Form is unlike anything seen in the physical world, it is perfect and has no opposite. The Form of Beauty does not contain ugly/not beauty. He says a beautiful woman person could be considered beautiful to other humans, but would not be considered beautiful to a god and is ultimately not perfect (Grube 69). Socrates implies that is is the soul what truly drives us. He suggests that the soul is deeply entwined withRead MoreLove and Beauty1208 Words   |  5 Pagesreproduction these things of beauty are given immortality. Plato reveals Socrates view through a dialogue between Socrates and Diotima: All of us are pregnant, Socrates, both in body and in soul, and, as soon as we come to a certain age, we naturally desire to give birth. Now no one can possibly give birth in anything ugly; only in something beautiful. That s because when a man and a woman come together in order to give birth, this is a godly affair. Pregnancy, reproduction Ââ€" this is an immortal thing for