COMPETING MODELS of PAIDEIA in PLATO's GORGIAS Introduction

COMPETING MODELS OF PAIDEIA IN PLATO’S GORGIAS [83]

Introduction

In this paper my speci c and limited purpose is to examine the competing models of paideia that I nd to be implicit in the explicit contrast between rhetoric and dialectic, which is drawn by Plato through the dialogical encounters between Socrates, Gorgias, Polus, and Callicles. In dramatic terms, Gorgias and Polus represent the rhetorical tradition with its own particular paideia, while Socrates represents an alternative paideia that is promoted through dialectical inquiry. Indeed, throughout the dialogue, Plato underlines many diferences between rhetorical display (ἐπίδειξις),1 which involves a long speech on a set topic, and the Socratic elenchus which involves short questions and answers. For instance, in the opening scene of the dialogue (447a–b), Socrates and Chaerephon have just missed a rhetorical display by Gorgias. Signi cantly, Callicles promises that it will be repeated at their pleasure because Gorgias is his house-guest.2 Socrates, however, wants to know (447c) if Gorgias is willing to engage in dialectical discussion (διαλεχθῆναι) about speci c questions (but not rhetorical themes) such as: What is the power of his craft (τίς ἡ δύναµις τῆς τέχνης) and what is it (τί ἐστιν) that he professes and teaches? Callicles con dently responds (447c) that Gorgias is always willing to answer questions, and urges Socrates to ask the man himself. Of course, it soon becomes apparent that Socrates and Gorgias have very diferent ideas about what is involved in asking a question. With reference to the historical context for this competition between two quite diferent kinds of paideia, we must distinguish between the dramatic date for the Gorgias dialogue, which hovers around the end of the Peloponnesian War (perhaps 405bc), and the date of composition which may be located somewhere in the rst quarter of the fourth century bc. Despite

1 The term ἐπίδειξις is not being used in the technical Aristotelian sense but rather in a more general sense that covers many kinds of public performance by a speaker; see R. Thomas 2003. There are some good reasons for believing that the historical Gorgias may have applied rhetorical ἐπίδειξις in many diferent contexts, including the Assembly and the law courts. 2 By contrast with Socratic discussions, each of which is unique and tailored to the discussion partner, a Gorgianic rhetorical display can be repeated at will and it is also like an item of merchandise which is available to those with the means to pay. 38 paideia

the fuzziness of this temporal perspective, I think we may assume that Plato wants his audience to bear in mind the disastrous Sicilian expedition and its contribution to the eventual defeat of Athens. The historical gure of Gorgias, [84] as ambassador for Leontini, shared | some responsibility for this disaster because it was he who rst seduced the Athenians by means of his rhetoric to become involved in Sicilian politics. It is more di cult to establish any precise historical framework for the date of composition of the Gorgias dialogue but I nd it plausible to assume that the gure of Isocrates is lurking somewhere in the background. A native of Athens, Isocrates founded a school of rhetoric which continued the tradition of Gorgias and which enjoyed considerable success in Plato’s lifetime. Furthermore, from his polemical work Against the Sophists, we gather that Isocrates was critical of eristic dialecticians, while also describing his own rhetorical activity and mode of paideia in terms of ‘philosophy’.3 Thus I claim that it is quite reasonable to treat Plato’s Gorgias as part of an ongoing debate in Athens about the best way to train young men for citizenship in the polis. Of course, Plato’s explicit reference to Pericles and his speeches suggests that he may also be responding to Thucydides, who claimed that Pericles was one of the greatest political leaders and civic educators of Athens.4 From a general philosophical perspective, however, I want to draw atten- tion to the importance of paideia for ancient political debates, since this topic has been rather neglected by modern scholars ever since Jaeger’s work in the middle of the twentieth century. As soon as we realise that the ancient debate about constitutions also involves the question about the best way to live, we cannot avoid the issue of competing models of paideia that under- lies such constitutional debates. I maintain that this is a crucial perspective which contemporary scholarship needs to recover in order to deal with the civic dimensions of ancient political thought. For instance, I want to suggest that it is within such an educational perspective that we should understand Socrates’ ironic remark (448d) that Polus seems to be fully equipped for speeches (λόγους) but that he has not yet ful lled his promise to Chaerephon. Gorgias seems puzzled by this remark presumably because he doesn’t see

3 Signi cantly enough, Isocrates criticizes those who apply the craft analogy to the art of speaking where it is inappropriate because a speech must be appropriate for diferent occasions, whereas an art like grammar is the same for all occasions. Here the Platonic craft analogy could be the target of his criticism (Against the Sophists 12f.). 4 Yunis (1996) makes a very convincing case for regarding Thucydides as one of Plato’s targets in the Gorgias, even though he is not mentioned by name (any more than is Isocrates). Plato did not often identify his contemporary ideological rivals.