Plato's "Gorgias"

What do we already know about gorgias?

Sunday,  January 24, 2016 9:08 PM

→ What do we already know about Gorgias?

○ Best known Sophist

○ Improvisation - could speak on any topic for hours ○ One of the wealthiest Sophists

○ Spoke poetically

Statue made of gold - only for Athenian natives, but Gorgias  

○

had one

→ Gorgias

○ Originally from Sicily

○ Traveling lecturer - "sophist" ("wise man")

▪ Taught how to be successful in civic and political life

Skeptical about the possibility of universal and absolute  

▪

knowledge and Truth

What does gorgias claim rhetoric to be?

No written handbook (learn about Sophists through  

▪

other writings)

○ Lived to be 95-105 years old

Speeches - given in the court, assemblies, and ceremonial (to praise or  blame)

→ Three Speech Types (Discussed by Aristotle)

○ Deliberative - political speech (given in assemblies) ○ Judicial - legal speech (given in courts/trials) We also discuss several other topics like Are huguenots and calvinists the same?

○ Epideictic - ceremonial (eulogies, for entertainment)  

Delivered in a home, or in the town, Polis, etc., eulogy -

▪

very big deal, speaker chosen very carefully

→ Gorgias' Works

○ Wrote:

▪ "On Nature" …he claimed

What are the four reasons why helen is innocent (according to gorgias)?

□ "Nothing exists"

□ "If anything did exist, we could not know it"

"If we could know that something existed, we  

□

would not be able to communicate it to anyone  else."

▪ Plato writes response to "On Nature" with "Gorgias" ▪ "Encomium of Helen" If you want to learn more check out When is the static keyword useful?

□ Helen of Troy

Considered the most beautiful woman, blamed for  

□

the Troan War - art of Greek mtholo Sarta  

else."

▪ Plato writes response to "On Nature" with "Gorgias" ▪ "Encomium of Helen"

□ Helen of Troy

Considered the most beautiful woman, blamed for  

□

the Trojan War - part of Greek mythology (Sparta  vs. Troy)

□ Legend says…

◆ Ancient city of Troy (across Aegean Sea) ◆ Built city walls to protect under attack

◆

Trojan War - continued for 10 years, built  Trojan Horse (got inside the horse, pretended  to sail away) - Greeks won the war by sneak  attack

4 Reasons Why Helen is innocent (according to  

□

Gorgias)

1. Power of Speech - Helen was captivated by words 2. Fell in love - Helen fell in love with Prince Paris

3.

Constrained by the divine - Gods held power over  her

4. Violently taken/raped - could not protect herself

a)

Rapist is at fault for taking her; Helen should  be pitied rather than punished

Gorgias - if you believe any of these reasons,  

□

Helen is proven innocent for the Trojan War We also discuss several other topics like What are labor standards?

→ Lessons to be Learned - from Gorgias' ○ Speech Structure  

▪ Prooemium/Introduction

▪ Narration

▪ Proof/evidence

▪ Epilogue/Conclusion

▪ Poetic devices

□ Antithesis

□ Relied on metaphors  

"There are two sides to every story" - dissoi logoi/arguing both  

○

sides

Different people involved in a situation can present different  

○

versions of the truth (countered the philosophers view - one  Truth) We also discuss several other topics like Acromegaly is caused by?
If you want to learn more check out What is the normal value of hemoglobin in adult females?

○ What would Plato Say?

The arts of poetry and argumentation only lead to  

▪

confusion, tricking us into believing false visions of Truth

→ Quote of the Day

Rhetoric and language have the power to influence and there  

○

are always multiple perspectives of the truth and the situation Gorgias - sophist who developed style of rhetoric contrary to  

○

Plato which held truth is relative and cannot be known which  

confusion, tricking us into believing false visions of Truth → Quote of the Day

Rhetoric and language have the power to influence and there  

○

are always multiple perspectives of the truth and the situation Gorgias - sophist who developed style of rhetoric contrary to  

○

Plato which held truth is relative and cannot be known which  refuted the notion of divine Truth

○ "Speech is powerful tool"

Rhetoric can be the most influential factor when changing  

○

someone's mind

→ For Wednesday

○ Read Plato's Gorgias ○ Context:

Dialogue between Socrates, Gorgias, Callicles, and  

▪ We also discuss several other topics like What does formaldehyde do to the body?

Polus

▪ Argument: What is rhetoric?

○ Questions for consideration

▪ Who is debating whom in dialogue? ▪ What does Gorgias claim rhetoric to be? ▪ How does Socrates describe rhetoric?