BL Book Discussion at RDC: Plato's 'Phaedrus'

The boylove board Religious Debate Chat – which, as its members will attest, is devoted to discussion on anything that stimulates the brain cells – is sponsoring a book discussion on the first half of Plato's Phaedrus. For those of you who haven't heard of the work – there are one or two of you, right? – it's a dialogue between the Greek philosopher Socrates and his fellow citizen Phaedrus, who are trying to determine whether love (i.e. pederasty) is worth pursuing. The part of the dialogue we're reading (either 12 or 27 pages long, depending on how much you want to read) includes Socrates's extended defense of the benefits reaped by the lover and his beloved. Those of you who have already read the work are welcome to join us now at the link below; the discussion begins whenever you feel like it and lasts until everyone gets bored. Those who haven't read the work may wish to follow the link for advice on translations and links to online editions of the work. Don't be scared away if you've never tackled Plato – he's much easier to understand if you're discussing him with a bunch of people who are also asking questions like, "What's this 'Being' thing he keeps talking about?" Here's a snippet from the dialogue to whet your appetite. * * * Phaedrus: As a matter of fact the topic is appropriate for your ears, Socrates; for the discussion that engaged us may be said to concern love. Lysias, you must know, has described how a handsome boy was tempted, but not by a lover: that's the clever part of it: he maintains that surrender should be to one who is not in love rather than to one who is. Socrates: Splendid! I wish he would add that it should be to a poor man rather than a rich one, an elderly man rather than a young one, and, in general, to ordinary folk like myself. What an attractive democratic theory that would be! Heather [E-mail]   [Home Page] RDC discussion