a fascinating discussion on sex gender and human instincts as relevant today as everin the course of a lively drinking party a group of athenian intellectuals exchange views on eros or desire from their conversation emerges a series of subtle reflections on gender roles sex in society and the sublimation of basic human instincts the discussion culminates in a radical challenge to conventional views by platos mentor socrates who advocates transcendence through spiritual love the symposium is a deft interweaving of different viewpoints and ideas about the nature of loveas a response to beauty a cosmic force a motive for social action and as a means of ethical educationfor more than seventy years penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the englishspeaking world with more than 1700 titles penguin classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors as well as uptodate translations by awardwinning translators