Essay on "Plato's Dialog Between Socrates and Gorgias"

Essay 3 pages (1109 words) Sources: 1 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Socrates and Gorgias

Gorgias by Plato, is a dialog between Socrates and Gorgias, a famous rhetorical speaker whose specialty is persuasion and refuting standard ideas. In ancient Athens, the art of rhetoric and persuasive speech was considered one of the highest of ideals in the political sphere, and part of being civilized. The Gorgias dialogs are a set of arguments between Socrates, Gorgias, and Polus that define rhetoric, examine the basis of moral philosophy, and what place spirituality has within the constructs of the time period. Socrates is the cynic of the group -- always finding ways to ridicule and find fault with arguments presented. Socrates, within this dialog, posits that really, when all is said and done, all that really matters is the purity of one's own soul -- after all, the only thing we can really control is what we view in the mirror each morning.

Explain how Socrates refutation of Gorgias is supposed to work (447a-461b, but especially: 458e-461b). What key steps are there in the refutation? Could Gorgias have (easily?) avoided refutation? What key steps are the in the refutation? Could Socrates (or Plato) trying to make this refutation? Or is the whole thing just about making Gorgias look bad?

Socrates seems to represent, for Plato, the skeptical intellectual. Gorgias has given a public display of his skills, and even boasts that no one has asked him a "new" question in some time, pointing to the audience that there is nothing new to be debated. Socrates assures Gorgias that he is a capable man, and is just as capable of brevity as he is in oration. This seems to be Plato's admonishment of the arrogance of Gorgias and his school of rhetoric -- almost as if they were theater performers rather than speakers of higher art (449c).

The cynicism is bold and challenging, and the key steps Socrates takes is to remove the man from the message to ensure that Gorgias' argument proves false: "I think that what you're saying now about rhetoric is incompatible and inconsistent to a certain extent with what you originally said…. So I am worried about subjecting your views to a thorough examination" (458a). However, rather than simply trying to make Gorgias appear inept, Socrates is trying to focus attention on the nature and distinction of art and flattery. Socrates insists that the ignorant is more convincing among the ignorant (the crowd) and the expert among the expert (certain citizens and intellectuals). There is a difference, then, between art and craft -- art is philosophy and using one's mind, rhetoric is a craft -- yes, a skill, but a craft nonetheless. In point of fact, Socrates says, rhetoric is "not an art, but the occupation of a shrewd and enterprising spirit, and of one naturally skilled in its dealings with men and in sum and substance... flattery"(463b).

Gorgias seems more preoccupied with verbal victory than in any true and detailed investigation of the question at hand; he does not deny that his students might use rhetoric for immoral purposes of persuasion, or to let the guilty go free; but he says a teacher cannot be responsible for the actions of his students. For example, one would not incarcerate a trainer or soldier if the student killed out of hand; but that the trained teaches in… READ MORE

How to Reference "Plato's Dialog Between Socrates and Gorgias" Essay in a Bibliography

Related Essays:

Plato Phaedo Term Paper

Plato: Phaedo

The Socratic Method

The Socratic Method of teaching philosophy is also the method by which an understanding of a particular philosophical attitude, argument, or theoretical tone is best… read more

Term Paper 6 pages (2134 words) Sources: 1+ Topic: Philosophy / Logic / Reason

---

Phaedrus Provides a Description of the Speech Term Paper

Phaedrus provides a description of the speech that occurred between Socrates and Phaedrus. The conversation depicts Phaedrus as a mature individual with love for rhetoric and Lysias. He is articulated… read more

Term Paper 6 pages (1668 words) Sources: 0 Topic: Philosophy / Logic / Reason

---

Plato Study of False Rhetoric as it Pertains to Democracy Term Paper

danger of rhetoric to a Democracy, we have only to look at our electoral process. The 30-second sound-bite and issue-positioning are all that matter now in terms of elections. Philosophical… read more

Term Paper 5 pages (1604 words) Sources: 2 Style: MLA Topic: Philosophy / Logic / Reason

---

Rhetorical Theory Classical and Modern Term Paper

Rhetoric

Classical and Modern Rhetoric

In philosophy and the human sciences, rhetoric has for centuries played a significant role. The art of rhetoric involves the usage of language to harness… read more

Term Paper 11 pages (3137 words) Sources: 6 Style: APA Topic: Philosophy / Logic / Reason

---

View 100+ more related papers  >>