Plato : SYMPOSIUM Persons of the dialogue: Apollodorus - Phaedrus - Pausanias - Eryximachus  - Aristophanes - Agathon - Socrates - Alcibiades - a troop of revellers Scene: The House of Agathon Translated by Benjamin Jowett - 21 Pages (Part 2) - Greek fonts Search Plato's works / Plato Anthology / The Greek Word Library = Note by Elpenor

SYMPOSIUM part 2 of 2

Part 1

Symposium: Birth in Goodness and Beauty / A nature of wondrous beauty

He assented.

Yet let me ask you one more question in order to illustrate my meaning: Is not a brother to be regarded essentially as a brother of something?

Certainly, he replied.

That is, of a brother or sister?

Yes, he said.

And now, said Socrates, I will ask about Love:-Is Love of something or of nothing?

Of something, surely, he replied.

Keep in mind what this is, and tell me what I want to know-whether Love desires that of which love is.

Yes, surely.

And does he possess, or does he not possess, that which he loves and desires?

Probably not, I should say.

Nay, replied Socrates, I would have you consider whether "necessarily" is not rather the word. The inference that he who desires something is in want of something, and that he who desires nothing is in want of nothing, is in my judgment, Agathon absolutely and necessarily true. What do you think?

I agree with you, said Agathon.

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