Textual Allusion As Rhetorical Argumentation: Gorgias, Plato and Isocrates
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Glaucon's Dilemma. the Origins of Social Order
[Working draft. Please do not circulate or cite without author’s permission] Glaucon’s Dilemma. The origins of social order. Josiah Ober Chapter 2 of The Greeks and the Rational (book-in-progress, provisional title) Draft of 2019.09.20 Word count: 17,200. Abstract: The long Greek tradition of political thought understood that cooperation among multiple individuals was an imperative for human survival. The tradition (here represented by passages from Plato’s Republic, Gorgias, and Protagoras, and from Diodorus of Sicily’s universal history) also recognized social cooperation as a problem in need of a solution in light of instrumental rationality and self-interest, strategic behavior, and the option of free riding on the cooperation of others. Ancient “anthropological” theories of the origins of human cooperation proposed solutions to the problem of cooperation by varying the assumed motivations of agents and postulating repeated interactions with communication and learning. The ways that Greek writers conceived the origins of social order as a problem of rational cooperation can be modeled as strategic games: as variants of the non-cooperative Prisoners Dilemma and cooperative Stag Hunt games and as repeated games with incomplete information and updating. In book 2 of the Republic Plato’s Glaucon offered a carefully crafted philosophical challenge, in the form of a narrative thought experiment, to Socrates’ position that justice is supremely choice-worthy, the top-ranked preference of a truly rational person. Seeking to improve the immoralist argument urged by Thrasymachus in Republic book 1 (in order to give Socrates the opportunity to refute the best form of that argument), Glaucon told a tale of Gyges and his ring of invisibility.1 In chapter 1, I suggested that Glaucon’s story illustrated a pure form of rational and self-interested behavior, through revealed preferences when the ordinary constraints of uncertainty, enforceable social conventions, and others’ strategic choices were absent. -
The Birth of Rhetoric: Gorgias, Plato and Their Successors
THE BIRTH OF RHETORIC ISSUES IN ANCIENT PHILOSOPHY General editor: Malcolm Schofield GOD IN GREEK PHILOSOPHY Studies in the early history of natural theology L.P.Gerson ANCIENT CONCEPTS OF PHILOSOPHY William Jordan LANGUAGE, THOUGHT AND FALSEHOOD IN ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY Nicholas Denyer MENTAL CONFLICT Anthony Price THE BIRTH OF RHETORIC Gorgias, Plato and their successors Robert Wardy London and New York First published 1996 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 First published in paperback 1998 © 1996 Robert Wardy All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data Wardy, Robert. The birth of rhetoric: Gorgias, Plato, and their successors/ Robert Wardy. p. cm.—(Issues in ancient philsophy) Includes bibliographical rerferences (p. ) and index. 1. Plato. Gorgias. 2. Rhetoric, Ancient. -
Plato's Critique of Injustice in the Gorgias and the Republic
Plato's critique of injustice in the Gorgias and the Republic Author: Jonathan Frederick Culp Persistent link: http://hdl.handle.net/2345/972 This work is posted on eScholarship@BC, Boston College University Libraries. Boston College Electronic Thesis or Dissertation, 2008 Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. Boston College The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Department of Political Science PLATO’S CRITIQUE OF INJUSTICE IN THE GORGIAS AND THE REPUBLIC a dissertation by JONATHAN FREDERICK CULP submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2008 © Copyright by JONATHAN FREDERICK CULP 2008 Plato’s Critique of Injustice in the Gorgias and the Republic Jonathan Frederick Culp Advisor: Professor Christopher Bruell No rational decision can be made concerning how to live without confronting the problem of justice—both what it is and whether it is good to be just. In this essay I examine Plato’s articulation of these problems in the Gorgias and the Republic. Through detailed analyses of Socrates’ exchanges with several interlocutors, I establish, first, that despite some real and apparent differences, all the interlocutors share the same fundamental conception of justice, which could be called justice as fairness or reciprocal equality (to ison). The core of justice lies in refraining from pleonexia (seeking to benefit oneself at the expense of another). Second, according to this view, the practice of justice is not intrinsically profitable; it is valuable only as a means to the acquisition or enjoyment of other, material goods. This conception thus implies that committing successful injustice is often more profitable than being just. -
A Treatise on Democratic Rhetoric and Rhetorical Democracy
University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 8-1-2013 The Nature of Authentic Governance: A Treatise on Democratic Rhetoric and Rhetorical Democracy Daniel L. Foster University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the History Commons, and the Political Science Commons Recommended Citation Foster, Daniel L., "The Nature of Authentic Governance: A Treatise on Democratic Rhetoric and Rhetorical Democracy" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 205. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/205 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact [email protected],[email protected]. THE NATURE OF AUTHENTIC GOVERNANCE: A TREATISE ON DEMOCRATIC RHETORIC AND RHETORICAL DEMOCRACY __________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Social Sciences University of Denver __________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________ by Daniel L. Foster August 2013 Advisor: Dr. Darrin Hicks ©Copyright by Daniel L. Foster 2013 All Rights Reserved Author: Daniel L. Foster Title: THE NATURE OF AUTHENTIC GOVERNANCE: A TREATISE ON DEMOCRATIC RHETORIC AND RHETORICAL DEMOCRACY Advisor: Dr. Darrin Hicks Degree Date: August 2013 ABSTRACT Democracy is a form of governance that allows for the flourishing of human potentiality. Unfortunately, democracy has become less of a means of governance and more of a rhetorical device to secure the consent of the people to be ruled by the elite few. -
A Map of Crito (ΚΡΙΤΩΝ)
ΠΛΑΤΩΝ | Plato: Four Dialogues Handout 8 A Map of Crito (ΚΡΙΤΩΝ) 43a–44b After the trial, Socrates’s (wealthy; see Apology 38b) friend Crito visits him in prison. He brings news of his imminent execution. 44b–46a Crito tries to persuade Socrates to escape. Reason 1. The common people (οἱ πολλοὶ, hoi polloi) will think Crito let Socrates down, so the friends’ reputation will be damaged, with bad individual con- sequences. Reason 2. Money is not an issue. Reason 3. Socrates would be welcome abroad. Reason 4. Socrates complies with his enemies; he throws away his life. Reason 5. Socrates irresponsibly betrays his duty to his sons. Reason 6. Socrates is a coward. 46b–50a Socrates replies. To Reason 1: not all opinions have the same value. We should listen to the experts and the wise: the qualified. What matters in the present predicament is the expert on justice, for the question is whether it would be just for Socrates to abscond. Socrates reminds Crito that what is relevant is not merely a life, but a good life, or a well-lived life (τὸ εὖ ζῆν, to eu zên); and the good life is the just life. Socrates also reminds Crito of the long-held belief that one should never (willingly or intentionally) do an injustice (οὐδαμῶς δεῖ ἀδικεῖν, oudamôs dei adikein), and this entails that one should never do an injustice even if one is wronged, or somehow provoked (see Handout 6). Hence, the ‘established hypothesis’: non-retaliation. Doing injustice is doing harm and injury. Likewise for agreements or commitments (τις ὁμολογήσῃ, tis homologêsê): if they are just, one ought to fulfil them. -
Herodotus and the Origins of Political Philosophy the Beginnings of Western Thought from the Viewpoint of Its Impending End
Herodotus and the Origins of Political Philosophy The Beginnings of Western Thought from the Viewpoint of its Impending End A doctoral thesis by O. H. Linderborg Dissertation presented at Uppsala University to be publicly examined in Engelska Parken, 7-0042, Thunbergsvägen 3H, Uppsala, Monday, 3 September 2018 at 14:00 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The examination will be conducted in English. Faculty examiner: Docent Elton Barker (Open University). Abstract Linderborg, O. H. 2018. Herodotus and the Origins of Political Philosophy. The Beginnings of Western Thought from the Viewpoint of its Impending End. 224 pp. Uppsala: Department of Linguistics and Philology, Uppsala University. ISBN 978-91-506-2703-9. This investigation proposes a historical theory of the origins of political philosophy. It is assumed that political philosophy was made possible by a new form of political thinking commencing with the inauguration of the first direct democracies in Ancient Greece. The pristine turn from elite rule to rule of the people – or to δημοκρατία, a term coined after the event – brought with it the first ever political theory, wherein fundamentally different societal orders, or different principles of societal rule, could be argumentatively compared. The inauguration of this alternative-envisioning “secular” political theory is equaled with the beginnings of classical political theory and explained as the outcome of the conjoining of a new form of constitutionalized political thought (cratistic thinking) and a new emphasis brought to the inner consistency of normative reasoning (‘internal critique’). The original form of political philosophy, Classical Political Philosophy, originated when a political thought launched, wherein non-divinely sanctioned visions of transcendence of the prevailing rule, as well as of the full range of alternatives disclosed by Classical Political Theory, first began to be envisioned. -
Isocrates and the Rhetorical Creation of Europe: the Medium As
Isocrates & Europe - 1 Isocrates and the Rhetorical Creation of Europe: The Medium as Message I. Introduction: Overview The idea that Isocrates helped create the concept of transnationalism that fostered Europe both as an idea and as an eventual political union is common fare in rhetorical studies. De Romilly (1992) writes that “Isocrates was perhaps the first in antiquity to focus his political theories on the idea of Europe” (p. 2). Isocrates anticipated “the idea of Europe” (Hariman, 2004, p. 231) and used the words Europen and Europes 13 times in his essays. But, to date, critical exploration of Isocrates’ role in developing the idea of Europe has primarily dealt with the content of his works – with his eloquent and relentless focus on panhellenism and the related conflict between Europe and Asia. This paper, however, will focus on medium rather than message. It will focus on Isocrates’ pioneering use of a new medium – written documents/syggrammata – and the role that the new rhetorical medium played in forming Europe. The most famous passage in the Isocratean canon, the so-called Hymn to Logos (Jaeger, 1944/1971), which first appeared in Nicocles (5-9) and was repeated in Antidosis (253-257), holds that speech/logos is a civic and political unifier, by means of which “we have come together and founded cities and made laws and invented arts” (Nicocles 6). Yet before Isocrates, who was “the first individual who could be termed a ‘writer’ in the modern sense of the term” (Lentz, 1989), logos and its community-building powers Isocrates & Europe - 2 traveled primarily orally: Cities, alliances, arts, and laws were built through face-to-face communication. -
COMMENTARY on GERSON ALESSANDRA FUSSI Professor
COMMENTARY ON GERSON ALESSANDRA FUSSI Professor Gerson's paper is in many ways challenging and illuminating. His detailed interpretation of the Phaedo is meant to offer a non question- begging argument on behalf of moral absolutism.1 Accordingly, in the first part of the paper the problem of moral absolutism is addressed in the early dialogues in general and in the Gorgias in particular. In the second part we find an elaborate argument proving that the Phaedo offers a theory of the self that supports Socrates' absolutist claims. In such a theory incarnate souls are merely imperfect images of eternal models. Professor Gerson maintains that the ideal self is nothing but "a knower, self-reflexively contemplating the Forms with which he is cognitively identified" (cf. p. 252). His argument runs as follows: in the early dialogues Socrates claims that it is better to suffer than to do evil. However, it can be objected that suffering evil entails of course suffering pain, while doing evil does not. If I think it is in my interest to take whichever course of action minimizes my pain, I have no reason to accept Socrates' thesis. In fact, my overall interests would be better served by doing, rather than suffering, evil. The question then is: how are we supposed to assess different views of what constitutes human interest? Professor Gerson rightly points out that Socrates cannot merely be claiming that moral absolutism is just a matter of personal preference. He must be claiming that people can be wrong about their own interests. Even if all Athenians disagreed with Socrates, he still would say that they do not know what their true interests are. -
The Gorgias Explained
Anthós (1990-1996) Volume 1 Number 3 Article 16 6-1992 The Gorgias Explained Dan Zajdel Portland State University Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/anthos_archives Part of the Classical Literature and Philology Commons, and the Philosophy Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Zajdel, Dan (1992) "The Gorgias Explained," Anthós (1990-1996): Vol. 1 : No. 3 , Article 16. Available at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/anthos_archives/vol1/iss3/16 This open access Article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). All documents in PDXScholar should meet accessibility standards. If we can make this document more accessible to you, contact our team. THE GORGIAS EXPLAINED Dan Zajdel his essay will take a close look at Plato's T The Gorgias; in particular, language use in the dialogue will be carefully examined. Subject matter and theme will be secondary to the structure and foml. Five forms of language will be addressed, beginning with the narrative frame of the dialogue. 'Ine dialectical debates, and the numerous speeches the participants make will be discussed. Allusions to the body of literature of the time will be identified, and the important use of myth will be recognized. It will be also shown how these tools function together with the explicit theme of inaugurating Socrates as a mythic hero. The narrative frame of The Gorgias provides a structure within which the debates are carried out. The opening two lines set the tone for the entire dialogue. -
Aristotle-Rhetoric.Pdf
Rhetoric Aristotle (Translated by W. Rhys Roberts) Book I 1 Rhetoric is the counterpart of Dialectic. Both alike are con- cerned with such things as come, more or less, within the general ken of all men and belong to no definite science. Accordingly all men make use, more or less, of both; for to a certain extent all men attempt to discuss statements and to maintain them, to defend themselves and to attack others. Ordinary people do this either at random or through practice and from acquired habit. Both ways being possible, the subject can plainly be handled systematically, for it is possible to inquire the reason why some speakers succeed through practice and others spontaneously; and every one will at once agree that such an inquiry is the function of an art. Now, the framers of the current treatises on rhetoric have cons- tructed but a small portion of that art. The modes of persuasion are the only true constituents of the art: everything else is me- rely accessory. These writers, however, say nothing about en- thymemes, which are the substance of rhetorical persuasion, but deal mainly with non-essentials. The arousing of prejudice, pity, anger, and similar emotions has nothing to do with the essential facts, but is merely a personal appeal to the man who is judging the case. Consequently if the rules for trials which are now laid down some states-especially in well-governed states-were applied everywhere, such people would have nothing to say. All men, no doubt, think that the laws should prescribe such rules, but some, as in the court of Areopagus, give practical effect to their thoughts 4 Aristotle and forbid talk about non-essentials. -
Isocrates and the Origin of Civic Education. Validity of a Classical Author
Isocrates and the origin of civic education. Validity of a classical author José Fernández-Santillán /[email protected] Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico City Campus, Mexico Abstract: Isocrates has been neglected as one of the principal figures of the main political thought. This essay tries his philosophical legacy, particularly his work as a civic educator. Today this is necessary because it is indispensable to build citizenship. His method in order to promote democracy was public deliberation not only by means of verbal discussion, but also by disseminating his writings. Isocrates promoted the creation of public spaces in which deliberation was possible. That is why he is considered a contributor of “public spaces” as we know them today. What we underline is that Isocrates believed in the value of the word as the main transformation of men and political regimes. The idea of democracy was the regime established by Solon and Clisthenes. He always took into account this model in order to restore civic life in Athens and governance in City- states in Greece. Key words: civic education, policy, democracy, oligarchy, citizenship. Resumen: Isocrates ha sido descuidado como una figura señera entre los grandes pensadores políticos de la Grecia antigua. El presente ensayo rescata el legado de este filósofo, particularmente su trabajo como educador cívico, hoy tan necesario para construir ciudadanía. El método que utilizó para promover la democracia fue la deliberación pública, no solamente a través de la discusión verbal sino también de la difusión de escritos. En consecuencia, Isocrates contribuyó a crear espacios de discusión muy semejantes a lo que ahora conocemos como “esfera pública”. -
Charis and Philia in Plato's Gorgias Jan Marie Christiansen Beane Iowa State University
Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1996 Charis and philia in Plato's Gorgias Jan Marie Christiansen Beane Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the English Language and Literature Commons, and the Rhetoric and Composition Commons Recommended Citation Beane, Jan Marie Christiansen, "Charis and philia in Plato's Gorgias " (1996). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 7083. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/7083 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Charis and philia in Plato's Gorgias by Jan Marie Christiansen Beane A thesis submitted to the graduate faculty in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Major: English (Rhetoric, Composition, and Professional Commurucation) Major Professor: Scott P. Consigny Iowa State University Ames, Iowa 1996 11 Graduate College Iowa State University This is to certify that the Master's thesis of Jan Marie Christiansen Beane has met the thesis requirements of Iowa State University Signatures have been redacted for privacy Ill TABLE OF CONTENTS NOTE ON TRANSLATIONS AND TRANSLITERATIONS iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 2. INTERPRETIVE STRATEGY CHAPTERS. CHi4il?S IN GREEK CULTURE AND LITERATURE 15 CHAPTER 4. THE RHETORICAL SITUATION OF THE GORGIAS 26 CHAPTER 5.