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| Speech
Communication Program / Professor Scholarship Director |
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| Discussion Questions: Gorgias |
1. Why is Socrates concerned with knowing who Gorgias is, rather than what he does? 2. Why does Socrates insist on a Q/A format and not long speeches? 3. Socrates contends that rhetoric has no content (as other sciences/arts do). Why is this an important issue? 4. Gorgias claims that rhetoric is concerned with "the greatest human concerns." Why? Does Socrates agree? Why or why not? 5. What is the purpose, for Socrates, of creating a distinction between knowledge and beliefs? 6. Socrates argues that teachers of rhetoric can make the "worse case appear the better." Why is this problematic for him? What is Gorgias' response? 7. Explain Socrates' argument that equivocates rhetoric to cookery. 8. Explain the strategy Socrates uses in questioning Polus about "good and bad." What is the purpose of this line of questioning? 9. Who or what does Polus represent during this lengthy exchange? 10. Socrates contends that rhetoric is only useful for the wrong-doer. Why? 11. Why is "pandering" an
objection Socrates has of Callicles? Does he apply it to all
rhetoricians? Why? What's the difference between pandering to an
audience and adapting to them? 13. How does Callicles' indictment of philosophers function? 14. What are the three qualities of the soul that Socrates articulates? 15. Describe the distinction between "natural justice" and "conventional justice." 16. What is the function of Socrates' equation of better, stronger, good? 17. Why does Callicles contend that a self-indulgent life is best? How does Socrates respond? What is the impact of these arguments? 18. Explain Socrates' "leaky jar" analogy. 19. Socrates contends that a True Orator appeals to souls. What is the impact of not being able to identify/name such an Orator? 20. What is Socrates' definition of a good person? 21. Sketch out the "chart" where Socrates articulates the relationships between the body and the soul. 22. Socrates' final speech summarizes some of his key arguments. How does his "lifestyle" choice relate to his arguments and, hence, his view of rhetoric? 23. After reading Gorgias, you should be able to articulate: (1) Socrates' view of rhetoric; (2) Socrates' specific objections to rhetoric; (3) Socrates' preference. That is, why does dialectic = truth; and thus, why is dialectic superior to rhetoric. Consider, is it acceptable to use rhetorical appeals in a dialectical exchange? How would Socrates answer that question?
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