Abstract
At the heart of the Symposium there lies the conceptual problem of defining the term eros in a manner that remains faithful to both its linguistic and philosophical context. Beginning with the conversation between Apollodorus and his unnamed stranger and ending with Socrates departing for the Lyceum, eros remains the sole focus of the entire work. With such a burden of importance placed upon one single word and its subsequent meanings and interpretations, it is useful to apply a consistent and distinct methodology, whether to an overarching global theme or an individual speech, in order to reveal the subtle syntactical selections Plato makes to support his larger philosophical argument.\r The common conceptualization of eros applied by scholars has tried to achieve a universal understanding, one overarching definition that can be applied to any context in \r which eros must have a one-to-one English equivalent. This technique has led to a problem in modern scholarship, in which translations vary to such a degree that the true meaning of eros has become lost in the process. The cause of such confusion is not due to a lack of logical analysis, but a lack of a logical methodology on which to base such analysis.\r The goal must be to strike a balance between the overarching concept of eros that pervaded the Greek consciousness, and the individual uses evidenced in the text of the Symposium. This paper proposes a new methodology which will be founded on the work of Ferdinand de Saussure and his theories of general linguistics. This approach yields a new interpretation of the word that both defines its individual meaning and the greater philosophical lesson Plato is attempting to convey. Eros is the desire of the soul, a desire that has future aspirations of finding a partner in whom one can contemplate the true meaning of beauty. It inspires, instructs, and guides those whom it touches toward immortality through fame, procreation, and wisdom.