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 things that our speech is now about” (458A). There really isn't a nice way to tell someone that they are wrong. Even though Gorgias says that he does not mind that he refuted him, you can just tell by the tone of his words, he did not like it.
He refuted him because he was jealous. He wanted to be him and think like him he wanted to be loved like him too. He figured if he refutes him he will sound smarter and people will love him and respect him more than Gorgias. Since Socrates was also an older man like Gorgias, he felt as though he has said enough things and made enough speeches that his popularity should be up there with Gorgias. Due to outside research I found out that Socrates actually committed suicide and I believe that, even though this book may actually be fiction, there is some truth behind every page. People that are jealous will do anything to make another person look bad. Even if that involves pretending to be some ones friends, just to know where they would hurt the most. Socrates knows that correcting someone that is so experienced with making speeches and rhetoric’s, could embarrass them but Gorgias is able to bounce back by putting Socrates back in his place. Before Gorgias could do that, Polus first jumps down Socrates throat. You could sense the sarcasm coming from Socrates and he says, “Polus, you most beautifully-mannered gentlemen, surely it is with good reason that we get ourselves companions and sons, so when we ourselves have gotten too old and got off the straight and narrow, you youngsters standing by can straighten our lives out again on our deeds and in our speeches as well” (461D). If Socrates wasn’t trying to be malicious then why would he gets upset when he is now being questioned by Polus? People only feel guilty when they have been unjust, just even towards one other person. Socrates was not a truthful person during these speeches. Gorgias knew what he was trying to say, Socrates just wanted to make him look bad in front of Callicles and Chaerephon. There was nothing innocent about Socrates and what he had to say to Gorgias.