Gorgias book cover

Gorgias

Plato · English text · 35,880 words

In Plato’s dialogue, Socrates questions Gorgias and his associates about rhetoric, persuasion, justice, and whether it is better to suffer injustice or commit it.

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Background

The dialogue places philosophical examination against the prestige of public speaking in classical Athens and asks what persuasive skill is for.

Reading notes

  • Follow the shifts between Gorgias, Polus, and Callicles.
  • Distinguish the power to persuade from knowledge of what is good.
  • Notice how Socrates tests claims through definitions and consequences.