Dialoghi sull'amicizia e sull'amore

by Plato, Elmo Totti (Editor), Emidio Martini (Translator)

From the Publisher's Plato's writing is refreshing, as well as stimulating, because he avoids the dryness we have come to associate with philosophic discourse. Instead of the emphatic pronouncements of his Western imitators, Plato exhibits the relaxed suppleness of a mind unwilling to let itself be controlled by the current philosophical systems.The present volume includes the Symposium and two other dialogues that between them embody the essence of Plato's thoughts on friendship and love. Like most of his dialogues, the Lysis and the Phaedrus are named for the principal character involved in the discussion with Socrates. It is otherwise with our chief dialogue. Though today a symposium is a meeting to discuss a particular subject, the word originally meant an after-dinner drinking party enlivened with conversation, music, and dancing. And such, in fact, is the setting of Plato's Symposium , which is considered the most perfect in form of all his works. In his comment on this dialogue, Benjamin Jowett declares that in both style and subject it is more Greek than any of the others, having a beauty "as of a statue."The translation is Jowett's, accompanied by his prefatory analyses and marginal notes. These translations, though made a hundred years ago, are still acclaimed for their accuracy and style.

Genres: Philosophy, Classics, Fiction

95 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1995

About the author

Plato (Greek: Πλάτων), born Aristocles (c. 427 – 348 BC), was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the written dialogue and dialectic forms. He raised problems for what became all the major areas of both theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy, and was the founder of the Platonic Academy, a philosophical school in Athens where Plato taught the doctrines that would later become known as Platonism.
Plato's most famous contribution is the theory of forms (or ideas), which has been interpreted as advancing a solution to what is now known as the problem of universals. He was decisively influenced by the pre-Socratic thinkers Pythagoras, Heraclitus, and Parmenides, although much of what is known about them is derived from Plato himself.
Along with his teacher Socrates, and Aristotle, his student, Plato is a central figure in the history of philosophy. Plato's entire body of work is believed to have survived intact for over 2,400 years—unlike that of nearly all of his contemporaries. Although their popularity has fluctuated, they have consistently been read and studied through the ages. Through Neoplatonism, he also greatly influenced both Christian and Islamic philosophy. In modern times, Alfred North Whitehead famously said: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato."

Reviews

[Sara Marchi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non lo avrei cercato attivamente, ma l’ho trovato nella libreria di fiducia e gli ho dato una possibilità.
Tanti spunti di riflessione e considerazioni da fare sui rapporti che instauriamo. Sicuramente attuale. Una piccola scoperta

[Sean Sexton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plato is always a little bit tough to read, depending on the work. When you read The Republic, you can focus on some of the great ideas presented in the work. These three dialogues also present some interesting thoughts and concepts, but they're a little bit harder to dig out than The Republic. Often when reading these dialogues, instead of enjoying them, I just get upset with the character of Socrates for his style of arguing with people and being able to prove anything he likes.

In the end, though, there is some good stuff here. The dialogues talk about the nature of human friendship and love. You just need to be able to not mind reading Plato in order to get to the material..

[Rosa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plato, the greatest guide to meditation and research as well as to dignity of living.

The constant spiritual and intellectual tensions in Plato's works recall, in the reader, that - often hidden - awareness of the self, and infuse a certain severe and serene enthusiasm that 'should' permeate everyone's life in pursuit of a fully 'philosophical' life.

Whatever the background, anyone can enjoy Plato and be enriched in the process. He is the great base for soul searching, for that quest that makes human beings strive
for knowledge and light, avoiding sectarian and partisan dicta.