After reading both Plato’s Symposium and Augustine’s Confessions, one can see how certain ideas in the latter work are found in the former one. In spite of the differences in time, men are obstructed from their pursuit of goodness, truth, and desires. Yet, among all of the speeches articulated in Symposium, Augustine would feel most connected to that of Alcibiades. Alcibiades is portrayed as an outstanding Athenian statesman, an accomplished orator, and a talented military general. And, on top of such admirable and prestigious qualities, he is physically attractive. With this knowledge in mind, he attempts to seduce Socrates into a lover-beloved relationship: he is willing to allow Socrates access his body in exchange for the knowledge that Socrates possesses (Plato, Symposium, 217a). As a response, Socrates claims that Alcibiades seeks “gold for bronze” (219a) since the beautiful body has no value when compared to that of truth. Socrates is highly regarded for his immunity to the power of money (219e), his apathy towards base pleasures, his bravery in the midst of …show more content…
One can conclude that this is because of all of the worldly pleasures that Augustine possesses; he regards the fulfillment of his sexual appetite as the most crucial feature of life. Mentioned several times in Confessions, Augustine asserts that although the priest Ambrose is happy in his walk with the Lord, “his celibacy seem[s] painful” (VI. iii (3)). He further supports his attachment to sexual pleasure by stating that he would be “very miserable” if he has to abstain from “the embraces of a woman,” and that “it [is] out of [his] power to live a celibate life” (VI. xii (22)). With such deeply rooted base desires, it seems that there is a very slight chance for Augustine (and of course, Alcibiades) to achieve the salvation, knowledge, and peace that they