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ED085778.Pdf DOCUMENT RESUME ED 085 778 CS 500 506 AUTHOR Griffin, Robert A. TITLE The Geometry of Persuasion. INSTITUTION Southern Connecticut. State Coll., New Haven. Dept. of Speech. PUB DATE 70 NOTE 6p. JOURNAL CIT Speech Journal; v7 p37-42 1970 EDRS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$3.29 DESCRIPTORS Communication (Thought Transfer); *Communication Skills; Educational Philosophy; *Ethical Values; Ethics; *Information Theory; Logic; Persuasive Discourse; *Platonic Criticism; Platonism; Rhetoric; *Speech Instruction IDENTIFIERS Sophists ABSTRACT Questions raised by contemporary communication teachers about educational program standards and goals have foundation in the classic rhetorical controversy between Plato and the Sophists. Sophistic instruction in ancient Greece centered around techniques of oral persuasion, and the methods were attacked by Plato because they emphasized skills over truth and ethics. Plato criticized the Sophists' epistemology because their rhetoric was not based on the highest intellectual forms, mathematics and dialectics. Also, Plato claimed that the Sophists did not demonstrate a sound ethical system. Finally, Sophistic rhetoric lacked proper style. Emphases of modern communication studies into cognitive and behavioral bases for communication theories reflect the concerns of Plato. Further, as communication instruction becomes more sensitive to social, cultural, and moral values, it tends more and more to conform to Plato's ethical standards. Despite new arts and systems, the modern communications theorist is still aware of Plato's commitments to truth, aesthetics, and ethical purpose. (RN) I 7 FILMED FROM BEST AVAILABLE COPY U S. DEPAR MENT OF HEALTH, EDUC..T ON 8 WELFARE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION DOCUMENT HAS BEEN REPRO DUCE() EXACTLY AS RECEIVED A POA' 7.E PERSON OR ORGANIZAI ION ORIGIN Speech Journal AT 'No IT POINTS OR VIEW OR OPINIONS STATED 00 NOT NECESSARILY REDRE Volume VII 1970 SENT OFFICIAL NAT1O,AL INSTITUTE OF EDUCAT4oN POSITION OR POLICY Published by the Department of; Speech Southern Conn. State College New Hayen, Conn. the ometry of persuasion by Robert A. Griffin What is Plato's case against the Sophists' Who were theSophists?A prejudice epistemology, ethics, and rhetoric style? An stemming frompre-Socraticthinkingto analysis of his indictment is suggestive for the present day easily identifies the term the improvement ofNITT C12tphilosophical "Sophist" with the negative connotations studies related lo comm nical o ns practice. of "sophistry," which refers to a smooth manipulation of words to convince the in- Current. literature on communications em- nocent that lies are true, and that the worse phasizes principles in seven different areas, is the better cause. Actually.' a Sophist in ranging from public address and discussion ancient Greece was simply a school teacher. to the dramatic arts. But what real princi- Many of the complaints leveled against the ples are demonstrated? It seems like an act Sophists are not greatly different from the of faith to detail voice processes, sociology criticisms leveled against modern teachers of communication, theatre truisms for ed- and modern teaching methods: the children ification,discussion techniques,dictionary are being entertained by literature discus- studies, psycho-linguistics, and compositional sions and dramatic frills instead of receiv- style in the hope that students will be suffic- ing, real training in the essentials; instead iently "snowed" to believe some principle of individual initiative and personal earning or principles actually had been presented power, children are being taught to support through the methods and skills inculcated. progressivism and socialisticwelfare-stat- Taking the rhetoricians at face value, any- ism; patriotism is being weakened, and chil- thing remotelyresemblinga general princi- dren are permitted to question the perennial ple of science or art is rather proclaimed truths of American heritage and foreign than shown in the texts. policy. The ancient complaints have a fa- And what of goals? Here again the com- miliar ring. monly assumed goal is persuasion, or action, The Sophist's instruction was pre-emi- l3ux persuasion, or action, is the means for iently education in oral persuasion. Under achieving some higher end, it is not usually the guidancie of the tutor, a Greek youth was thought to be asubsittite for high mor- to acquire a knowledge of vocabulary and ality. Moreover, the padding of high pres- syntax; he was to learn the balanced use of sure salesmanship into a motivated sequence body and gesture; he was to acquire skill in method leaves many students with the im- voice variety and projection ;finally, he was pressi'm that speech teachers believe manip- to weld all these talents into effective, rhe- ulation is superior to ethical purpose.' torical persuasion for use in the law courts, ingroup instructionofotherAthenian In brief, certain crucial questions must be youths, in the public assembly, or in the the- confronted by language instructors if they atre. The student had to become knowledge- hope to justify their programs in the future. able in a number of fields. What are the real principles of communica- tion? What are standards and goals fur- In his doctoral dissertation recently ap- thered by communication studies? Is there proved and published at Goettingen, Ger- a correlation between philosophical objec- many, Professor George IL Wikramanayake tives and speech instruction? Can assumed of Ghana, Africa, has stated the problem correlations be evaluatedproperly? Such this way: Plato argues that the Rhetors and questions are not altogether new. They are Sophists have no knowledge of what is just. some of the most significant points in Plato's Yet in the sense of what is lawful, a-speaker case against the Sophists. The possibility might very well possess a knoWledge of what suggested here is that the controversy be- is just. What is the explanation? tween Plato and the Sophists may have some Again. Plato criticizes the Rhetors and educational implications for contemporary Sophists for not aiming at the good. But a speech instruction. speakerinthe assembly could urge the 37 adoption of a in which he believed would In order that a philosophical orator of thle be better under the circumstances. Certainly Platonic tradition knowlthe manner in which Socrates or Platointhe some situation definitions are to be formulated. Plato elab- would not have been likely, to deliver lec- orates a theory of cognitkm. To the modern tures on ethics when the as'embly was de- temper in.Americathis approach.. tothe liberating on a particular course of action problem seems strange: but Plato. did not to be followed or rejected. Like the Rhetors live in the United States where philosophy and Sophists. Plato and Socrates could only and rhetoric are easily dividedinto two show the most probable and beneficial pol- armed camps. To him there was nothing; at icy under the circumstances.' allunusualinsearching out adialectical foundation for persuasion. In turn, there is Professor Wikramanayake's solution. ably little hope of comprehending Plato's pro- supported by his research in classical lan- posals for the reform of rhetoric short of guages.isthatwhen Platoaccusesthe understanding his theory of cognition and Rhetors and Sophists of speaking without the Form of the Good.' knowledge. and of being indifTerenttoa knowledge of what is good and true, he has As outlined in book six of The Republic, in mind his own knowledge of forms. Truly. Plato's divided line theory separates know- if there is one characteristic which all the ledge proportionally into two unequal sec- Sophists had in common. itis that none of tions. '[lie one, receiving the smaller area, them knew Plato's doctrine of Forms, and pertains to the images and objects of the none of them seem to have been acquainted senses. The other, receiving the larger area, with Plato's Form of the Good.' pertains to the forms of the intellect and of reason. Fly degrees of abstraction, an object A historical condition which served to re- of the senses mcives, through the intellect and inforce Plato's biased accounts was a con- receives a final form in human reason. Ana- servative reaction which setin at Athens 16g,ously, the areas of learning also receive beginning with the reign of the Thirty Ty- a ranking.Poetry, art, and drama. which rants at the end of the Pelopennesian War. make the greatest use of imagery and illu- During this period most of the Sophists sion, receive the lowest position. Yet they were put out of business. and their writings are not belittled; only in the arts does hu- were burned. Consequently, nothing further man reason attain its complete fruition! An is known about the encyclopedic instructions intermediary position on the line is assigned of Protagoras, Gorgias. Thrasymachus. and to composition and rhetoric, which make use Prodicus.Yet,asProfessor Broudy has of the intellect and the senses. The ideal sci- shown in his history of educational methods, ences of mathematics and dialectic, depend- the Sophists;laidthe foundations oflin- ing on reason for their development, receive guistic analysis insemantics, syntax, and the top position. Other sciences, depending pragmatics. Their work would compare quite on their needfor sensory evidence e.g. favorably with similar projects today.' physics and biology tend to be classified Throughout his dialogues, Plato .argues with the arts. The implication of Plato's that mere opinion shuffling: about sense-data theory of cognitive
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