...believing in the concept. In his attack on the rhetoric as unreal art, Socrates uses cosmetics as an example of rhetoric that depicts flattery. He argues that cosmetics take the form of gymnastics, and that it works in a deceitful manner through the help of lines, colors, enamels, and garments in order to create a false beauty that tends to neglect the true beauty and fitness, which is provided by the gymnastic. Therefore, he refers to cosmetics as the art of gymnastic cookery, which is the art of medicine sophistry, legislation rhetoric, or jurisprudence (Harold 4). If the body presides over itself without the guidance of the soul, then cookery, health, and medicine will mingle in indiscriminate. Socrates tends to argue that cosmetics are used to create a beauty that does not last. It is not inherent beauty of the human being, but a flattery meant to convince people that cosmetics make people to achieve beauty. In the Gorgias and Socrates discussion with other scholars, the superior nature of...
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...What is rhetoric? Some say that it is the art of persuasive speech or the art of public speaking. Webster’s dictionary dictates rhetoric as, “ the art of speaking or writing effectively”. Throughout society speaking has always played an insurmountable role in our everyday lives, even before we put a literary term to define our actions. We do not see the practice of rhetoric until the 800s BC with the appearance of Homer, who was an author of multiple epic poems. Homer is most commonly known for, “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”, which both are compiled of multiple speeches within his poems. This allowed Homer to use rhetoric throughout his works. Rhetoric is used much more than just in works of literature. Education and government play large...
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...Athens. In “The Apology,” Socrates defends himself in front of the jury while he attempts to embarrass Meletus and lessen his credibility as the prosecutor. Socrates then talks about how Athens would lose more than they would gain by exiling him, and he finishes by saying that he does not fear death for only the gods know what happens after death. Socrates uses apologia, a method of defense, to embarrass Meletus. He wants to prove to the jury that Meletus really has no affiliation with the youth of Athens, so there is no way for him to know if the youth are corrupted or not. It appears that Meletus just...
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...Kacey McClenny Civ II PLATO: GORGIAS Most people probably think that Socrates was innocent in refuting Gorgias and asking to clarify things, but I believe that Socrates had wicked motive all along. Was Socrates really being genuine? Also why would Socrates try and make a mockery of Gorgias in front of two other people? When Gorgias and Socrates talk about rhetoric at the beginning of Plato's Gorgias, Gorgias says that rhetoric is about speeches. Most importantly, speeches that are about other speeches. Gorgias did not mean every speech, because the speeches that only pertain to another form of art belong to that other art and not to the art of rhetoric (449E-451D). Gorgias tells Socrates that the speeches used for rhetoric are about “The greatest of human affairs” (451D). In the text, Plato’s Gorgias, page 41, section 457D, it may seem like Socrates takes the time to make sure that Gorgias does not get upset once he refutes what he once said during another speech. Socrates states, “I think that Socrates was trying to be snarky when he refuted Gorgias. Even though he goes into a long speech about how he would not be a good student if he did not refute him and he would want someone or Gorgias to refute him as well. Socrates states, “Because I consider a greater good, insofar as it’s a greater good to be set free oneself from the greater evil than to set someone else free, since I can imagine no evil as being so great for a human being as a false opinion about precisely those...
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...APOLOGY Sophists The sophists were rhetoric teachers in Athens who lived at the same the as Socrates. They were major intellectual figures, and the term “sophist” means “wise person.” At that time “sophistry” was roughly equivalent to “rhetoric,” and rhetoric is the art of persuasion using language. However, the term ‘sophistry’ is now generally used to refer to manipulative forms of rhetoric. Protagorus * Was a Sophist Why was socrates unpopular * Two sets of charges put toward Socrates * * Accused of worshiping false Gods (or no Gods at all) * Also accused of corrupting the youth * Socrates adds that there are unspoken charges pressed against him * * He says these charges are the real reason he is in court * He says the may be impossible for him to fight against What do the people (wrongly) believe about Socrates: * He is the same as the Presocratics (and therefore does not believe in God) * Interested in Arche * An atheist * A sophist * Teaches the young (corrupting them) * * Socrates never tried to teach anyone * Therefore he denied he was a sophist Oracle of Apollo at Delphi * If socrates is not a sophist, and does not teach virtue, what has he been doing? * * He calls upon the Oracle to prove that he only has human wisdom (not divine) * The Oracle tells Socrates’ friend that he is “the wisest of men” * ...
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...In Gorgias both Socrates and Callicles believes that they are the true statesman. Socrates thinks that you should be respected and respect your people, while Callicles thinks that the strong should rule and the weak do not matter because they are weak. It comes down to selfish or selfless ideas of statesmanship. Throughout the years there have been many debates between those who practice different forms of statesmanship. Many of these debates have been between those who practice philosophy and those who are rhetoricians. One such debate between a philosopher and a rhetorician may be found in the Gorgias in which a debate between Socrates represents the philosopher and Callicles represents the rhetorician. Now it has been said that most, if not all of the what is believed to be radical thinking in the ways of politics, is instead merely the same things which philosophers were speaking of in the past. It seems that all political thought is just a case of the politician stealing the good ideas of change from the philosopher. A career in politics requires the use of the principles, categories, and metaphors of political philosophy. By acknowledging this it is understood that to be a successful politician one must also use the ideas of political philosophy. One may attempt to attain political power without the aid of political philosophy however; it is likely that this attempt will fail. In Gorgias Socrates is engaged in a debate, which begins in the streets and eventually...
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...less important in the society and not dignified. The method used could involve the use of direct speech, dialogue or quoted speech. These are the major poetic criteria used by Aristotle and applied in the work Apology by Plato. Plot structure and character are also an important part described Poetics. Plot structure is basically the plan of the work. For Apology, this can be considered into the action or the events that are taking place through this work. For example, there is recognition of the characters and an evidence of the suffering of the main character, Socrates. According to Aristotle, a good plot is one that is complex for the human understanding which can be seen in the Apology. There is the evidence of fear as well as pity for Socrates. For example, the main character in the Apology can be seen to be having a good fortune before he is accused but currently undergoing too much suffering. More so, Socrates is evidently an intelligent and important individual in the society a characteristic which is defined in Aristotle Poetics. His intelligence can be manifested through him saying, " O my friend, why do you who are a...
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...In Gorgias both Socrates and Callicles believes that they are the true statesman. Socrates thinks that you should be respected and respect your people, while Callicles thinks that the strong should rule and the weak do not matter because they are weak. It comes down to selfish or selfless ideas of statesmanship. Throughout the years there have been many debates between those who practice different forms of statesmanship. Many of these debates have been between those who practice philosophy and those who are rhetoricians. One such debate between a philosopher and a rhetorician may be found in the Gorgias in which a debate between Socrates represents the philosopher and Callicles represents the rhetorician. Now it has been said that most, if not all of the what is believed to be radical thinking in the ways of politics, is instead merely the same things which philosophers were speaking of in the past. It seems that all political thought is just a case of the politician stealing the good ideas of change from the philosopher. A career in politics requires the use of the principles, categories, and metaphors of political philosophy. By acknowledging this it is understood that to be a successful politician one must also use the ideas of political philosophy. One may attempt to attain political power without the aid of political philosophy however; it is likely that this attempt will fail. In Gorgias Socrates is engaged in a debate, which begins in the streets and eventually...
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...nature of rhetoric, art, power, temperance, justice, and good versus evil. As such, the dialogue both maintains independent significance and relates closely to Plato's overarching philosophical project of defining noble and proper human existence. It exists in the form of a mostly friendly (though at times scathing) conversation between Socrates and four fellow citizens. Chaerephon, an apparent contemporary of Socrates, is found speaking with Plato's teacher at the beginning of the dialogue, yet says little else throughout the conversation. Callicles, another of Socrates's peers (and here his harshest insulter), plays host to Gorgias as well as opponent to Socrates near the discussion's close. Gorgias is the famous orator (for whom this text was named), the questioning of whom serves as catalyst for the debates around which Gorgias centers. And Polus is Gorgias's inexperienced, overeager student. One must remember that although the dialogue depicts a fictitious interaction, Socrates was indeed Plato's teacher. As a result, this character's words for the most part should be taken as indicative of the actual Socratic framework and presentation, in addition to serving as an expression of Plato's own positions. Though Plato himself did not split his writing into sections, the text nonetheless divides quite smoothly into general topics. The first vague section (ending at 466) finds Socrates and his friend Chaerephon discussing Gorgias's status as an imminent rhetorician. Socrates desires...
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...The minds of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle Submitted to: Sr. Dennis San Gregorio Reported by: Legaspi, Mary Rose T. 1bsed SOCRATES BIOGRAPHY OF SOCRATES SOCRATES, the celebrated Greek philosopher and moralist, was born at Athens in the year 469 B.C. His father, Sophroniskus, was a sculptor and he followed the same profession in the early part of his life. His family was respectable in descent, but humble in point of means. He had the usual education of the Athenian citizen, which included not only a knowledge of the mother tongue, and readings in the Greek poets, but also the elements of arithmetic, geometry and astronomy as then known. Excepting in connection with his philosophical career, few circumstances of his life are known. He served as a hoplite, or heavy-armed foot-soldier, at the siege of Potidaea, at the battle of Deliurn, and at Amphipolis, and his bravery and endurance were greatly extolled by his friends. PLATO BIOGRAPHY OF PLATO Plato was born around the year 428 BCE in Athens. His father died while Plato was young, and his mother remarried to Pyrilampes, in whose house Plato would grow up. Plato's birth name was Aristocles, and he gained the nickname Platon, meaning broad, because of his broad build. His family had a history in politics, and Plato was destined to a life in keeping with this history. He studied at a gymnasium owned by Dionysios, and at the palaistra of Ariston of Argos. When he was young he studied music and poetry. According...
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...and the Rhetoric Books I and II Aristotle (384-322 BCE) • Aristotle was a student of Plato’s who disagreed with his mentor over the place of public speaking in Athenian life • born in Macedonia about the time Plato was opening the Academy in Athens • age seven went to Athens and entered the Academy--stayed on as teacher; left 20 yrs later on Plato’s death in 347 • Was ineligible to inherit Academy because he wasn’t Athenian • believed only scientific demonstration and the analysis of formal logic could arrive at transcendent truth • Dialectic and rhetoric form 2 major divisions in his view of human inquiry but they deal with subjects on which true knowledge isn’t available • Rhetoric: making persuasion possible • for Aristotle, rhetoric as the discovery in each case of the available means of persuasion--this discovery requires scientific investigation o in terms of speech situations, he focused on civic affairs • forensic speaking considers guilt or innocence—judicial speech centering on accusation and defense • deliberative speaking considers future policy—political speech centering on future policy • epideictic speaking considers praise and blame—ceremonial speech ▪ Aristotle classified rhetoric as the counterpart of dialectic o dialectic is on-on-one conversation; rhetoric is one person addressing the many o dialectic searches for truth; rhetoric demonstrates...
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...A REVIEW ON THE PHILOSOPHIES OF SOCRATES AND PLATO The book ‘A Brief History of Philosophy: From Socrates to Derrida’ is written by Derek Johnston who is now a retired teacher and has also written ‘A Brief History of Theology: From the New Testament to Feminist Theology’. This book, A Brief History of Philosophy, of 211 pages, was first published in Great Britain by Continuum International Publishing Group in 2006 and then published in India by Bloomsbury Publishing India in 2014. More about the author Derek Johnston is now a retired teacher. He used to be the Vice Principal of Midleton College, Co Cork, Ireland, where he taught for over 30 years. He has mainly written on topics such as Historical Theology, Philosophy, History of Western Philosophy, and Introductory Philosophy. Introduction Johnston has simplified the most complex, essential concepts of philosophies ranging from 18 key philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle to David Hume, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Jacques Derrida exploring their ideas in relation to each other and to their historical and cultural contexts. He uses clear and accessible language to present an engaging chronological picture of these philosophies. However, this review has been concentrated on the first chapter of this book – ‘Socrates and Plato: the Fire and the Sun’. Before diving deep into reviewing this chapter, we must understand what philosophy in itself is. Philosophy is a discipline mainly concerned with thinking. Derek Johnston...
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...Athens, an incredible number of remarkable thinkers, artists, politicians, etc., participated in the life of the city-state. Their accomplishments have guided and inspired the entire development of Western culture. It’s pretty obvious then, that we ought to know something of their philosopher’s ideas. The most famous are, of course, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. Prior to these are the so-called Pre-Socratics. The Pre-Socratic philosophers include: the Ionians who attempted to formulate materialist explanations of reality, the Eleatics, who proposed various intellectual conundrums about the nature of being and thought and the Sophists, who taught rhetoric and were an important social force (as their contemporary intellectual descendants are today). Socrates, Plato and Aristotle represent almost a school of thought. Socrates taught Plato, though he did not write down his teachings. After he was executed, Plato did write down what Socrates had taught, in the forms of dialogues, as well as much more which Plato probably thought he might have taught had he lived. Aristotle studied in Plato’s school, the Academy, until after many years he left to form his own. One might characterize all of their philosophizing as the attempt to solve a number of problems left to them by their predecessors in a systematic way. Western philosophy is traditionally held to have begun with Thales. Thales is said to have taught that water is the source of all things. What this means is unclear. Perhaps...
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...for the author to express their beliefs and why they think you should read them. To do this they use many forms of rhetoric to capture our attention. Authors, especially the philosophical ones we have been talking about, used rhetorical devices for many different reasons, including: drawing the readers attention and strengthening their essays and ideas. In the essays we read in class, the authors use rhetorical devices to help draw the readers attention. For example, Emerson uses an epigraph at the beginning of his essay that completely draws the attention of the audience. It says, "No te quaesiveris extra"(Emerson 1). This is a Latin quote meaning do not look outside of yourself from the truth. Just by knowing what the epigraph means, the reader can figure out the entire theme of this essay: self-reliance. Epigraphs are not the only devices used by these authors to capture the attention of the reader. Many of the authors use symbols. Whitman used a symbol of nature in his essay, The Song of Myself. He uses nature to discuss reincarnation after death, which is what he believes in, and he also uses it to show the growth of people. For example, he believes that no matter how bad a person is on earth, they will come back through reincarnation no matter what. The devices make their works more interesting because it gives some flavor to a boring topic. They also use rhetoric to appeal to the reader because the devices usually help in explaining how their beliefs are better than...
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...Socrates Philosopher Socrates was a classical Greek Athenian philosopher. Credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy, he is an enigmatic figure known chiefly through the accounts of later classical writers, Wikipedia “Personal background” Born: 469 BC, Athens, Greece Died:399 BC, Athens, Greece Full name: Socrates Nationality: Greek Era: Ancient philosophy Region: Western philosophy School: Classical Greek Main interests: Epistemology, ethics Notable idea: SocraticMethod, Socratic irony Influenced: Most subsequent Western philosophy; more specifically, Plato, Aristotle, Aristippus, Antisthenes Spouse:Xanthippe Children:Menexenus, Lamprocles, Sophroniscus Aristotle Philosopher Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great “Personal background” Born: 384 BC Stagira, Chalcidice Died: 322 BC (aged 61 or 62) Euboea Nationality: Greek Era: Ancient philosophy Region: Western philosophy School: Peripatetic schoolAristotelianism Main interests: Physics, Metaphysics, Poetry, Theatre, Music, Rhetoric, Politics, Government, Ethics, Biology, and Zoology Notable ideas: Golden mean, Aristotelian logic, syllogism, hexis, homomorphism, Aristotle's theory of soul Plato Philosopher Plato was a philosopher in Classical Greece. He was also a mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western...
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