The Conflict Concerning the Ethical and Aesthetic View of tò kalón in Xenophon’s Symposium

The Greek term “tò kalón” has a wide variety of connotations, among which the ethical and the aesthetic aspects stand out. Scholars debate whether there is a clear separation between those two aspects, whether one subsumes the other, or more broadly what their relation is. In this paper, I propose that Xenophon’s Symposium is a good scenario to explore the intricacies between different aspects of tò kalón. Not because the dialogue offers any deep philosophical discussion about the nature of tò kalón, but because Xenophon presents this dialogue as an illustration of tò kalón. I shall argue that, even though it is generally agreed that tò kalón (fineness, beauty) elicits praise and commendation, experiencing or appreciating it does not necessarily lead to being able to provide its definition, just as having a definition of it does not necessarily affect our appreciation of it.