The Feast

Plato, 427？ BCE-347？ BCEProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.3

Word count: 151K words
Chapters: 16

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Pidot (Symposion) by PlatoAuthor: Plato, 427? BCE-347? BCE,Language: Finnish, Class: PA: Language and Literatures: Classical Languages and Literature, Release Date: Oct 16, 2016

Editor's review

This is the Finnish translation of Plato's Symposium, released as an eBook by Project Gutenberg. For Chinese readers, its primary value lies not in offering new philosophical interpretation, but in showing how a Western classic exists within digital public-domain publishing and multilingual transmission. The text itself is Plato's famous dialogue on eros, beauty, and the philosophical life, featuring speeches by Aristophanes, Socrates, and others, and is an important entry point for understanding ancient Greek thought. However, this edition is in Finnish, so Chinese readers without Finnish reading ability will find its practical readability limited; it is better suited as a sample for textual scholarship, translation transmission, or digital humanities research, or for direct reading by readers who know Finnish and are interested in classical philosophy. Editorial note: this is a public-domain electronic text without a modern introduction or notes, so readers need to supply background knowledge themselves.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who know Finnish and wish to read Plato in the original
Scholars studying Project Gutenberg and the transmission of public-domain eBooks
Translation researchers interested in multilingual editions of the Symposium
Classics enthusiasts who collect electronic editions of Plato's works

Not a good fit for

General Chinese readers without Finnish reading ability
Beginners in philosophy seeking detailed notes and introductions
Researchers who need modern scholarly translations for citation in papers

Reading tips

First understand the dialogue structure and main speakers of the Symposium, then read the Finnish text in comparison.
Read alongside a Chinese or English translation to lower the language barrier and grasp the argument.
Supplement background on ancient Greek symposium culture before reading to understand the ritual nature of the dialogue setting.
If used for research, record the release information and language edition of the electronic text for academic citation.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book a Chinese edition?

No. According to the data, the book's language is Finnish; it is an electronic Finnish translation of Plato's Symposium, and Chinese readers need Finnish ability or another language edition alongside it.

What is the relationship between Pidot and the Symposium?

Pidot is the Finnish title of the Symposium (Symposion). The book is the Finnish version of Plato's famous dialogue, centered on eros, beauty, and the philosophical life.

Does this edition have notes and an introduction?

The data shows it was released by Project Gutenberg and is a public-domain electronic text; no modern introduction or scholarly notes are mentioned. Readers who need background explanation should consult relevant research materials or annotated editions separately.

Is this edition suitable for philosophical research?

If researchers know Finnish and are concerned with the transmission of translations, it can be used as textual material; but for precise academic citation, modern scholarly editions with collation and notes are usually preferable, with specific edition information noted.

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About the author

Plato, 427？ BCE-347？ BCE Author

Plato (c. 427–347 BCE) was an ancient Greek philosopher. Reliable details of his life are limited in public sources, and his thought and writings are generally known through later accounts. The library holds 65 of his works, including the multi-volume Republic (Πολιτεία), the Symposium, and the Phaedo. These works are mostly dialogues with Socrates as the central figure, unfolding through question and answer around justice, the governance of the city, love, the soul, and knowledge, combining philosophical inquiry with dramatic literary form. The Republic, which discusses the ideal city and justice, is especially influential. Plato's style is marked by analogy, argument, and open-ended conclusions, and he has had a lasting influence on later Western philosophy and political thought.