The Symposium – Plato

"Love is the desire for the perpetual possession of the good."

At a drinking party in Athens, a group of friends—including Socrates, the playwright Aristophanes, and the politician Alcibiades—take turns giving speeches in praise of Eros, the god of Love. They discuss the nature of desire, the origin of soulmates, and the ladder of love that leads from physical attraction to the contemplation of absolute beauty.

The Symposium is one of Plato's most beautiful and accessible dialogues. It shaped the Western concept of 'Platonic love' and offers a profound meditation on how human desire can be transformed into a spiritual quest for truth.