Grendel

Grendel

  • Submitted By: diddl
  • Date Submitted: 12/14/2008 9:02 PM
  • Category: English
  • Words: 467
  • Page: 2
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Gorgias and oratory
Rosa Soltani

Following Socrates multiple attempts of questioning Gorgias about the definition and matter of his subject, Gorgias introduces oratory as regards of human’s greatest concerns; about power and personal freedom. He defines oratory as an ability to persuade. However, his definition is not quite satisfying to Socrates since there are many people that think their profession is of human’s great concerns who also use persuasion! So, he clarifies that oratory is concerned with those matters that are just and unjust; (page11 454b) he considers justice and injustice among humans’ greatest concerns! He explains that justice plays a big role in this career and oratory should be used justly like any other profession. An orator will do what is just and never does unjust willingly.
However, it is possible for an orator to misuse his ability and act unjustly. In fact Gorgias explains it is the individuals fault for misusing oratory, and the teacher should not be questioned or blamed! Socrates on the other hand doesn’t really accept Gorgias’ excuse and figures that what Gorgias is saying right now is not consistent to what he was stated at first. The very art of oratory that was all about justice now could be “misused” and actually harm people. Socrates believes that an orator that teaches oratory is responsible to teach his student through reason the importance of justice and make him upright. Therefore a student who has been taught well recognizes unjust and would never act in such way.
Later on Gorgias claims that he can make an orator out of anyone by teaching him how to persuade any kind of gathering. (And by gathering he means among people who don’t have knowledge of that specific subject.) Unlike Socrates, Gorgias believes that oratory is about persuading people and not necessarily teaching truth about actual matters. As he says “oratory doesn’t need to have any knowledge of the sate of their subject matters;...

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