This is really the extent of Gorgias attempting to remove himself from Socrates' argument, but instead, pulls him deeper into the intellectual trap, for Gorgias has only one misgiving about the entire situation . . . he fears that the crowd of onloo Continue Reading...
Plato's (and Socrates') Criticism of Rhetoric in "Gorgias" In Plato's philosophical work entitled "Gorgias," the philosopher's criticism of the method of rhetoric as a form of persuasion is the primary focus of Plato's written work. In the said phil Continue Reading...
Thucydides and Plato had conflicting methods in their attitudes toward the good life. Thucydides demonstrates empirical thinking in his readings of human nature and comportment throughout the Peloponnesian War and Plato demonstrates normative thinkin Continue Reading...
Gorgias, Encomium of Helen In the English language in the twenty-first century, the term "sophistry" still exists to refer to a plausible-sounding but misleading argument, an evaluatively negative term to describe bad reasoning. Although the term de Continue Reading...
Plato Gorgias Based on your interpretation of "The Gorgias," what is the relationship between philosophy and politics, in a democracy? How does the debate between Callicles and Socrates inform your answer to this question? In the dialogue entitled Continue Reading...
Socrates asked them to come forward with their thoughts if they were "still doubtful about the argument." The two proceed to make a sophisticated argument, contrary to Socrates' points, that were counterexamples to the points about the body and the Continue Reading...
Plato's theory of Being and Becoming, and its relations to the forms, is rooted in the dichotomy between being and not-being. Prior to Socrates the Sophists, from Parminedes to Gorgias, had argued that because it was impossible by definition for Not Continue Reading...
Essay Topic Examples 1. Socratic Ignorance and the Nature of Evil: This topic explores the concept of Socratic Ignorance, a term derived from Socrates' claim that he knows nothing, and how this admission of ignorance is Continue Reading...
Plato: Life, Philosophies, And Influence Time Period Plato Lived in. Plato was born in 428 BC and grew up in a time of major political change in Ancient Greece. The Peloponnesian War began a few years after he was born and continued until he was tw Continue Reading...
This, then, is what takes us to the argument that false rhetoric is the greatest danger to democratic rule. Imagine what kind of leaders we would have if only false rhetoric existed? False rhetoric allows for the use of lies, manipulations, "spin" Continue Reading...
As Socrates argues against rhetoric and its use as an "art" (as Gorgias identifies it), he exemplifies the freedom of the criminal as opposed to the law-abiding individual, subsisting to the same argument that Plato had presented in "Republic." In a Continue Reading...
Plato's Symposium is one of the most widely read of his dialogues. It is said to be a departure from the usual style because except for a brief portion, it is not written in dialectical style. Instead, a variety of speakers have the opportunity to pr Continue Reading...
Socrates In Euthyphro, Socrates' questioning centers on discovering the true definition of piety -- but it is geared towards arriving at a sense of reasonable judgment (after all, he himself is about to go before the judges, and he would like to rec Continue Reading...
Gorgias, Plato addresses the Sophists and shows Socrates facing off against several of them in a discussion of justice. As can be seen from this dialogue, different Sophists taught somewhat different doctrines. In general, though, the Sophists consi Continue Reading...
This implies that a lot about us is built via our symbol systems. Burke's asserts that a correlation exists between the nonverbal and the oral. Burke believes that non-verbal language involve signs plus labels that help one to understand things. Bur Continue Reading...
Nietzsche and Nihilism "Nihilism" was the term used by Friederich Nietzsche to describe what he considered the devaluation of the highest values posited by the ascetic ideal. The age in which he lived was viewed by the German philosopher as one of p Continue Reading...
Meno There is a saying that everything in Western philosophy stems from Plato, since his writings set a foundation for all the philosophers to follow. In fact, there are those who believe that he is the greatest philosopher of all times -- even surp Continue Reading...
Isocrates: No Sophist A strict definition of sophistry has evolved throughout the centuries, yet sophists are identifiable in every age, whether in Plato's Dialogues, Shakespeare's dramas, or today's politicians and scholars. What then is a sophist? Continue Reading...
History Of Persuasion: Sophistry in Traditional and Contemporary Society Athenians in ancient Greek loved public speech. Sophists, people with skills in oratory, were awarded trophies and accorded great respect. They were associated with wisdom and Continue Reading...
It was not until the Renaissance that the art of rhetoric would retain the heights it had reached in the classical period. The Renaissance favored classical forms of rhetorical theory - particularly Latin. The Renaissance period can be seen as a se Continue Reading...
