Gorgias

Gorgias is one of Plato's dialogues (out of approximately 30 dialogues) that centers on the definition of rhetoric. He uses the guise of his teacher, Socrates, to express his opinion on the limitations and definition of rhetoric. This dialogue can be broken into three parts, wherein a different definition of rhetoric is expressed and then debated. In Part One, Gorgias’ definition of rhetoric is discussed. In Part Two, Socrates gives his definition of rhetoric in response to Gorgias. In Part Three, Plato uses Callicles to critique his own rhetorical situation.

This dialogue was written by Plato, who was a student of Socrates, around 380 BC. It was written nearly thirty years after the Peloponnesian War, which followed the Golden Age for Athens. The Golden Age included Athens becoming the height of Ancient Greece and many of the cultural achievements made in that time became the building blocks for Western Civilization. Plato, who's teacher had lived through the height of the Golden Age, was following behind with the remnants of their thoughts mixed with the aftermath of the Peloponnesian War. At the time in which Plato was writing there was a popular dislike of the Socratic philosophy and the traditionally more powerful class. This was due to the classes leveling just before Socrates' time, as schooling became more easily accessed by all people.

In part one, Gorgias is depicting the role of the sophist in the society of the time. Socrates implies that Gorgias should give his opinion on rhetoric, because he "has more experience" with it. This is something of an insult, since the Socrates' opinion does not reflect highly on sophists. Scorates asks Gorgias a series of questions, most of them purposely worded to trap him in his incorrect opinion. Gorgias' opinion is that rhetoric is an art and that it should be used to persuade the people within their society to an opinion. He believes it is the highest power a man can possess.

The second part of the dialogue consists of Socrates' opinion, wherein he retorts to Gorgias that rhetoric is not an art. He defines it as a habitude instead, going on to make a distinction between arts and flattery. He says that a rts are what is best for the body and the soul, while flattery ignores what is best and is solely focused on pleasure. Socrates disagrees with Gorgias about the power that rhetoric has, insisting that it is the smallest power a man can have. The third part consists of Callicles' opinion, who has up to this point been silent. He immediately accuses Socrates of manipulation, saying that he twisted Gorgias' words into a trap. He insists that human convention cannot be used as a measure of goodness, but that you should instead use nature, because the better should rule the worse. He believes that happiness and power come from having no restraints, while Socrates counters that souls with no restraint will never be satisfied.
 * **Flattery ** || **Art ** ||
 * Rhetoric || Justice ||
 * Sophistry || Legislation ||
 * Cosmetics || Gymnastics ||
 * Cookery || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Medicine ||

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Here’s a table comparing and contrasting Gorgias’ and Socrates’ definitions of rhetoric:


 * **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Gorgias’ Definition of Rhetoric ** || **<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Socrates’ Definition of Rhetoric ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Rhetoric is concerned with the skill of speech || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Rhetoric imitates the truth ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Rhetoric is the producer of persuasion || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Distinguished between knowledge and belief. Persuasion produces belief, not knowledge. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It persuades judges and statesmen || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It makes the worse appear better ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It speaks to the multitude || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It speaks only to those who don’t rely on truth ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Rhetoric is an art || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Rhetoric is a habitude— arts have subjects, but rhetoric does not ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">It deals with the just and the unjust || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">If rhetoric can be used for unjust causes, then it is itself unjust ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Any man can carry conviction to a crowd through rhetoric || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The crowd is ignorant and doesn’t distinguish between truth and persuasion ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The teacher cannot be blamed for a student’s misuse of rhetoric || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">If rhetoric can be used unjustly by the student, the teacher is responsible for teaching it ||

<span style="font-family: Tahoma,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">Plato's opinion is that the truth is absolute. Since rhetoric deals with persuasion in the place of truth, it is not an art and therefore not good for the body and soul. He thought that truth was persuasive enough on its own and did not need to be masked by any kind of ornamentation. The only access to truth, according to Plato, was through philosophy, because the truth is written on our very souls.