{"product_id":"2940169254235","title":"A Macat Analysis of Plato's Symposium","description":"It may sound like the set-up for a joke¿¿A playwright, a philosopher, and a general walk into party¿¿ But, some 2,500 years after it was written, Plato¿s \u003ci\u003eSymposium\u003c\/i\u003e remains a key text for philosophers, historians, writers, artists, and politicians.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    Plato imagines a dinner party¿a symposium¿held in the Athens of the late fifth century b.c.e. He invites seven important historical figures including the philosopher Socrates, the comic playwright Aristophanes, and the notorious military general Alcibiades. As entertainment, each guest gives a speech praising \u003ci\u003eeros\u003c\/i\u003e (human love or erotic desire). Plato then ¿collects¿ these seven speeches into \u003ci\u003eSymposium\u003c\/i\u003e. Plato often used this ¿dramatic dialogue,¿ and many scholars consider Symposium to be the finest example of the technique.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e    From this vibrant contest of words, Plato presents key philosophical ideas about love, ethics, knowledge, and the fundamental nature of being. Combining a dynamic literary portrait of intellectuals at play with a series of radical philosophical concepts, \u003ci\u003eSymposium\u003c\/i\u003e continues to captivate and educate readers to this day.","brand":"Ella Blasen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47116510396656,"sku":"2940169254235","price":13.33,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940169254235_p0.jpg?v=1763676753","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940169254235","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}