Speaking Truth to ‘Platonism’? Some Thoughts on Alcibiades and Erôs

This article reads Alcibiades’ speech in Plato’s <i>Symposium</i> in terms of the later Foucault’s examination of ‘parrhēsia’, or ‘frank spokenness’. It contends that, in part, Alcibiades’ stress on the sheer particularity and individuality of erotic attraction—in his case, attraction to...

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Main Author: Ian Leask
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Philosophies
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/10/3/67
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author Ian Leask
author_facet Ian Leask
author_sort Ian Leask
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description This article reads Alcibiades’ speech in Plato’s <i>Symposium</i> in terms of the later Foucault’s examination of ‘parrhēsia’, or ‘frank spokenness’. It contends that, in part, Alcibiades’ stress on the sheer particularity and individuality of erotic attraction—in his case, attraction to Socrates himself—acts as a kind of rejoinder to the ‘impersonal’ aspect of erôs highlighted in the famous speech of Socrates/Diotima.
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spelling doaj-art-cb24ac8d2e4b413a8643306c45d578012025-08-20T03:27:36ZengMDPI AGPhilosophies2409-92872025-05-011036710.3390/philosophies10030067Speaking Truth to ‘Platonism’? Some Thoughts on Alcibiades and ErôsIan Leask0School of Theology, Philosophy, and Music, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, D09 V209 Dublin, IrelandThis article reads Alcibiades’ speech in Plato’s <i>Symposium</i> in terms of the later Foucault’s examination of ‘parrhēsia’, or ‘frank spokenness’. It contends that, in part, Alcibiades’ stress on the sheer particularity and individuality of erotic attraction—in his case, attraction to Socrates himself—acts as a kind of rejoinder to the ‘impersonal’ aspect of erôs highlighted in the famous speech of Socrates/Diotima.https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/10/3/67PlatoloveAlcibiadesSocratesPlatonismerôs
spellingShingle Ian Leask
Speaking Truth to ‘Platonism’? Some Thoughts on Alcibiades and Erôs
Philosophies
Plato
love
Alcibiades
Socrates
Platonism
erôs
title Speaking Truth to ‘Platonism’? Some Thoughts on Alcibiades and Erôs
title_full Speaking Truth to ‘Platonism’? Some Thoughts on Alcibiades and Erôs
title_fullStr Speaking Truth to ‘Platonism’? Some Thoughts on Alcibiades and Erôs
title_full_unstemmed Speaking Truth to ‘Platonism’? Some Thoughts on Alcibiades and Erôs
title_short Speaking Truth to ‘Platonism’? Some Thoughts on Alcibiades and Erôs
title_sort speaking truth to platonism some thoughts on alcibiades and eros
topic Plato
love
Alcibiades
Socrates
Platonism
erôs
url https://www.mdpi.com/2409-9287/10/3/67
work_keys_str_mv AT ianleask speakingtruthtoplatonismsomethoughtsonalcibiadesanderos