HONR 1101 Chapter Notes -Agathon
Document Summary
Plato"s goal in including alcibiades" speech is firstly to demonstrate that socrates is not responsible for alcibiades" political errors. Plato recognizes that socrates has had a tremendous influence on the young who desire to be loved by him, hence alcibiades" eulogy of socrates. Socrates is not present, he says that he forgets his teachings and succumbs to the honor he gets from the many, (216b) which makes him feel shameful. Alcibiades only enjoys philosophy but is not fully committed to it; he is a representative figure of the young men of athens who socrates supposedly corrupted. Though these young men did listen to what socrates had to say, they rarely carried out his commands when faced with the opportunity of public praise, or more specifically the byproducts of a political career. Alcibiades then proceeds to describe the relationship he has with socrates, and he talks about the love he has for him.
