oops forgot my questions...
As far as the reading goes. Is Gorgias suggesting that there is no sin that can not be justified through rhetoric?
And isn't he also admitting that he is guilty of being one who..." have and do persuade people of things do so my molding a false arguement?"
I absolutely love your first question. I literally stared at my computer for a second and just had to say..."damn..." It's an incredible implication. We talk about rhetoric being persuasive, but I had never stopped to think about what persuading might be done. Theoretically, a lot of bad things can be explained away with carefully thought out rhetorical response. That is an incredibly powerful tool we have at our disposal! And if the answer to your question is yes, then does rhetoric need to be watched closely by a moral compass? Do we need to think about what should be justified through rhetoric instead of what can be?
ReplyDeleteI think rather than rhetoric being guided by a moral compass, he rather is stressing the importance of critical reading.
ReplyDeleteI definately think that Gorgias suggests - as you worded it in your question - "there is no sin that can not be justified through rhetoric" and the key word being rhetoric. His essay showed that not only can any situation can be justified - but justified in multiple ways. He freed any blame on the sole person for starting an entire war in which several contries participated, assumingly costed each an enormous amount of soldiers and money, as well as ending "The Age of Heros". Not only did he free her of blame, but did so by 3 different times.
ReplyDeleteI also think that Gorgias is suggesting that. I don't necessarily thinks that he means to, but, partially because Socrates kind of pushes him into a corner, he seems to be insinuating it. Gorgias suggests that rhetoric is power and that you can pretty much do whatever you want if you are a good rhetorician. I think that he only sees the "good" that can come from rhetoric, because he seems to believe that those who are good rhetoricians are also of a better stock than those who aren't and, therefor, know better than those who can be easily persuaded by good rhetoric. He seems to believe that those who are good at rhetoric will only have good in mind for the people they are trying to persuade, so it doesn't matter if they spill a little lie or two as long as their agenda gets pushed forward. I really don't think that Gorgias had any ill intentions. I think he was just a little full of himself.
ReplyDelete