Plato Vs. Rhetoric Plato And Rhetoric - 2524 Words

Plato and Rhetoric Plato is one of the greatest philosophers in history. Often his words and sayings resonate to this day. But, considering all what Plato has done, what is most peculiar about him is his condemnation of poets and sophists. Plato is in a constant fight to see that the way of true philosophy replaces these false arts. But even much more interesting is that Plato goes even further, and condemns the use of rhetoric, the art of persuasion, as a whole. He not only does this adamantly and with hearty conviction, he fights rhetoric with rhetoric itself. It is a contradiction that which seems laughable and intriguing. Through his works of the Phaedrus, in which Plato’s voice is heard through the mouth of Socrates and The Republic, Plato’s ultimate goal for civilization, the perfect place for society to function together. In these works, Plato demonstrates his dislike for the practice and implementation of rhetoric but also aims at taking sophistry and poetry down along with it. The Phaedrus is the ultimate attack on rhetoric from Plato, and its practices. It follows Socrates and Phaedrus as they discuss love, and other ideas. But it sets up somewhat of a villain within the work as well. There is a man named Lysias, trying to win Phaedrus’ heart, just as Socrates is. But they both employ different methods of doing so. There is the use of rhetoric, which Lysias uses to persuade others, he is popular amongst his peers and others as well. And then there is Socrates, aShow MoreRelatedEssay Clouds vs. The Apology1649 Words   |  7 Pages Clouds vs. The Apology In Aristophanes Clouds and in Platos Apology we see extensive fictional representations of the historical figure, Socrates, who left us no literary works under his own name. 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Introduction Plato and Aristotle are two of the most influential figures in academic history, yet in spite of their intricate relationship, the pair had differing, albeit not always opposing, views on language which could be argued to be a result of the changing politics of the Ancient Greek era. In this essay I will firstly explore the political situation surrounding the time of both philosophers. Following this, I will expand upon these findings and consolidate them in regards to various languageRead MoreInjustice And Injustice935 Words   |  4 PagesAccording to Plato it is better to suffer injustice than to commit injustice, and I agree with it. Because the person who commits’ injustice is not happy and won be happy however the person who suffers injustice can be happy because doe s not carry with guilt. The dialogue of Gorgias is a dispute of two opposites views on different subjects. Starting with knowledge vs. opinion. In a reunion between, Socrates, Gorgias, Chaerephon, Callicles and Polus who is a student of Georgia rhetoric teachingsRead MoreThe Question of Socrates Obedience3243 Words   |  13 Pagesin Book IX of the Analects, it is stated that the Master rarely speaks of Goodness, since it is such a mystical thing, Plato shows how the idea of Goodness consumes Socrates and may be seen as the ultimate subject of all the major Dialogues from Euthyphro to Crito. The meaning of goodness is indeed discussed by Socrates quite often. In the Gorgias, Socrates counsels that rhetoric is empty and useless by itself and is only really useful if it is coupled with morality. Morality governs and directsRead MoreObamas Dnc Romneys Rnc Rhetorical Analysis1731 Words   |  7 PagesRHETORICAL ANALYSIS: Obama VS. Romney It is not relatively easy to be a great speaker. To pull your audience to you, and have them consuming every sentence you prepare for them, every word you breathe. 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They fought through lettersRead More Nature vs. Nurture Essay1836 Words   |  8 PagesAbstract Nature vs. nurture has been discussed by philosophers in the past and by scientists more recently. Philosophers such as Plato argued that all knowledge was inherited from your parents and when you were told something you didn’t learn it you were just reminded of it. Aristotle however argued that all humans were born with a blank slate and built on it with influence from there environment. In the 1700’s the empiricists and the internalists took over the argument. They fought through lettersRead MoreThe Persian Wars Were Significant For World History1441 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophers all came from Greece and their ideologies continue onto the modern world. From Socrates to Plato, and eventually Aristotle, each gave way to modern ideals. As an illustration, modern thinkers use Socrates as â€Å"model of the free individual† which alludes to American values of freedom as an individual citizen who has rights. Both the ideals of forms and rhetoric, which derive from Plato and Aristotle, also play a huge role in modern society because of the organized structure. The advancementsRead MoreThird World Newsreel s History856 Words   |  4 Pagesneeded (5).† Equating Third World with nonwhite and working class oversimplifies the race and class inequalities at play in the Third World. It ignores the fact that anticolonial does not automatically mean class or race struggle. In the allegory, Plato likens people untutored in the Theory of Forms to prisoners chained in a cave, unable to turn their heads. What the prisoners see and hear are shadows and echoes cast by objects that they do not see. This difference in reality marks a key difference