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The first version

Understanding the difference between the Plato and Socrates is not an easy task. One of the article that sheds light towards understanding the difference is called “The Portrait of Socrates in Plato’s Symbosium.” The article was authored by William Prior and reveals a lot concerning how Socrates is depicted in Plato’s Symbosium. The article endeavors to reveal who Socrates is. Although the article intends to give one general description, it acknowledges the fact that there are numerous or multiple portraits of Socrates in the Symbosium. Some of which are dramatic, whereas others are from Socrates himself. The article also acknowledges the fact that Plato gives the reader several rival portraits of Socrates in the dialogues and that not all of such portraits are consistent with each other and hence the reader or analysts have all the freedom to choose which of the portrait or combination of portraits can be best used to describe Socrates.

The article acknowledge Socrates as a mouthpiece for Plato and that the dialogue about Socrates are significantly influenced by Plato. In other words, the article intends to demonstrate that Plato brings his unmatched literary imagination and philosophical genius to the interpretation of the philosophy of Socrates. By reviewing different dialogues such as Apology, Lysis, and Symbosium, the article tries to distinguish whether it is Socrates who is reporting. The article admits that it is not clear whether it is Socrates who is narrating or not. Concerning Symbosium, the article reveals that the dialogue can be interpreted in two perspectives. The first perspective is the outer perspective. In this perspective, the author states that the dialogue can be interpreted as a conversation between Apollodorous and unnamed companion. However, the individuals conversing are influenced by Socrates. The inner perspective, on the other hand reveals self-portrait and self-characterizations. From the article, we get different descriptions of Socrates. Firstly, Socrates is depicted as a charismatic philosophical teacher, as revealed in conversation between Apollodorous and Agathon. The article , for example give an example in Apology where Socrates urges those whom he was conversing with that they must put the care of their souls ahead of the pursuit of wealth. The article adds that the opening of Symbosium depicts Socrates as person who has wisdom and that people are compelled to follow him and that is why he has disciples to follow him and that he also a philosopher. Agathon, according to the Symbosium believes that Socrates is the possessor of at least some wisdom, though what the content of the wisdom might be we are not told.

The second portrait of Socrates is his education in erotics. This is evidenced by the dialogue with Diotima, a priestess, who is considered knowledgeable about eros or Beauty or love. This is addressed using theory of Forms. The article reveals that Plato straightforwardly attributes the theory if Forms to Socrates in Phaedo and Parmenides.

Beauty, as depicted by Diotima, is knowledge, and that knowledge is acquired through two-stage process. The first stage is when a person becomes aware of his or her ignorance. The second stage postulates that knowledge cannot be second-hand, to true opinion. The article reveals that Diotima is in doubt that Socrates is able to attain a vision of Beauty, and that one must be led by a mystagogos to that vision. From Alcibiades’s speech account of Socrates, we get to know that Beauty is not the literal meaning. For example, Alcibiades describes the statues as ugly on the surface but carry agalmata or images of gods within them. While describing what beuty means, Diotima uses a case of pregnancy. She uses an example of a person who is pregnant. According to Diotima, a person who is pregnant primarily in soul seeks beautiful souls in the presence of which he or she can bring forth virtuous deeds and that when he finds such a person, the psychologically pregnant person ‘tries to educate him’. Lower levels of beauty entails the physical pregnancy. The highest level or stages of beauty or forms, is wisdom.

Second Version

The article is one of the most informative article authored by William Prior that describes who Socrates is. There are many portraits given about Socrates. In fact the introductory section the author of the article readily admits that there is no clear portrait of Socrates. However, the author went ahead to give three key depiction of who Socrates is. The first description is that Socrates is a philosopher. This is evidenced in the point where William give an example in Apology where Socrates urges those whom he was conversing with that they must put the care of their souls ahead of the pursuit of wealth. Socrates is further depicted by Agathon as possessor of at least some wisdom.

The second portrait of Socrates is that he is a person of eros. The last depiction entails explaining what eros means and we get to learn about eros from Diotima and Alcibiades’s speech that eros is knowledge and that the knowledge is a two-stage process. It is also indicated that eros is beauty. Diotima describe beauty using a case of pregnancy. According to Diotima, a person can be pregnant physically, psychologically or in soul. The real beauty is the wisdom and it is the beauty of the souls.

The third version

The article describe who Socrates is. The first description is that he is depicted as a charismatic philosophical teacher. This is evidenced in conversation between Apollodorous and Agathon. It is also revealed in Apology where Socrates is depicted advising people that they must put the care of their souls ahead of the pursuit of wealth. In addition, Agathon believes that Socrates is the possessor of at least some wisdom, though what the content of the wisdom might be we are not told.

Secondly, Socrates is depicted as lover of beauty. The dialogue with Diotima, a priestess, who is considered knowledgeable about eros or Beauty or love. Beauty, as depicted by Diotima, is knowledge, and that knowledge is acquired through two-stage process. The first stage is when a person becomes aware of his or her ignorance. Citing Alcibiades’s speech account of Socrates, the article reveals Beauty has more than the literal meaning. For example, Alcibiades describes the statues as ugly on the surface but carry agalmata or images of gods within them. In addition, Diotima uses a case of pregnancy to describe what beauty is. She uses an example of a person who is pregnant. According to Diotima, a person who is pregnant primarily in soul seeks beautiful souls in the presence of which he or she can bring forth virtuous deeds and that when he finds such a person, the psychologically pregnant person ‘tries to educate him’. Lower levels of beauty entails the physical pregnancy. The highest level or stages of beauty or forms, is wisdom.