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Summary

Plato’s belief in rhetoric shows the negative side of a rhetorician. Plato believes that rhetoricians are evil because they make a living off of manipulating people. This is further proved in the court system, where a rhetorician will twist the narrative to please the audience since they control the outcome. Then the soul and body is used as a metaphor involving true art and sham art. In true art, basic things that maintain and restore the body such as gymnastics and legislation are shown on the positive side. Which is then counter argued about the negative connotation, sham art. Gymnastics and justice is later disproved that it does not restore or maintain the body because depending on how it is used, it can destroy the body or have no effect on the person’s health. The soul is later used in a metaphor about the charioteer and the horses being controlled. The charioteer is the physical person and the horses represent their desires, one is noble and the other is lust.

Plato’s Gorgias: Rhetoric on Trial

Plato aims his arguments at Sophist, he builds a case against anyone making their own living by persuading. Plato claims that the Sophists’ practicing rhetoric is dangerous to the polis because it has no justice. The reason there is no justice is because the Sophists used public manipulation (doxa ) through persuasion but the real justice is in knowledge (episteme). For example, when it comes to a trial, the people being judged are at odds because depending on the lawyer, the one on trial might be left free or in jail. This will depend on the lawyer using rhetoric to manipulate the audience or judge to get a certain sentence. Rather it is being played by law, it is played by personal gain. In addition, Plato did not agree with Sophistic teaching rhetoric for pay because it should be about honing one’s natural skill.

The debate with Gorgias: Rhetoric’s Nature and Uses

Plato believed logos are powerful things and without it (rational explanation) then the practice is incapable of reflecting true meaning. True art (techne) needs logical reasons to achieve a goal, without it there is no meaning. Socrates believes that persuasive words being used for personal gain is not true art. Therefore, the Sophists must appeal to popular belief and the opinion in justice because rhetoricians according to Gorgias produce belief (pistis) about justice.

Socrates versus Polus: Rhetoric as Power

True art (a techne) is maintaining or restoring genuine health to the soul and body. Socrates separated four arts of health; two for the soul and body. Socrates labeled for the body is gymnastic for maintaining physical health, the practitioner is a trainer or coach. Medicine will restore what is lost in physical health, the practitioner will be a physician. In terms of soul, to maintain the health Socrates labeled legislation/lawmaking. Plato viewed legislature as people who develop laws to help people. To restore one’s soul, Socrates labeled justice, the practitioner is a judge. The judge has the ability to bring a soul wrapped in crime back to internal health.

The sham of art, Socrates counter argue the arts of health. Socrates claims that gymnastics is a sham because of the makeup being used. The appearance of health can be fixed by makeup but no knowledge from it can maintain health. For medicine Socrates mentions cooking as a knack that people learn through experience and practice. But Socrates argues that medical knowledge does not need to be cooked to restore health. For the soul, Socrates mentions sophistication as the sham of legislation because they make long speeches in legislature to convince them to benefit one’s constituents. In addition, rhetoric came into question because Sophists used rhetoric to affect the laws that ensure safety and turned it into passing laws for personal gain. Logos are being used to rationalize techne. True art is being counter argue with logos to show that it is a sham art because none of what is being present actually maintains or restores health. For example, gymnastics is known to be a sport that uses strength, agility, and strategy. All of which is used to improve muscle and brain function. But it is argued that the makeup being used during this sport shows false advertisement that the gymnasts are healthy.

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Is Plato Fair to Rhetoric and the Sophists?

Plato claims that using rhetoric can trick the audience into thinking they have the truth when in reality they are just dabbling in opinions. For example, someone thinking they are healthy in reality they are severely sick. Audience, for example in court, controls the rhetoric. When the rhetorician manipulates the audience, they can control the narrative. To persuade the audience is dangerous because the audience can be easily tricked by clever speakers. According to Socrates, the Sophists are willing to tell the audience anything they want to hear. For example, in witch trials, anyone can be convicted of being a witch. The reason being is the audience, the audience may know the person is not a witch but they still want to see someone burn as a form of entertainment and keep the fears for their enemies. If no one is convicted then the audience becomes a mob. To control the audience one must do it through flattery by listening to the audience’s concern and turning it on its back then the rhetorician will achieve their goal.

Rhetoric in Plato’s Phaedrus: A True Art?

In Phaedrus, Plato suggests that rhetoric is used for the good of the people and society. Then claims that true art of speech gives order to society by studying the human soil and language influences. Plato creates a metaphor that rhetoric is the interaction of caring.

The Complexity of the Soul

Plato separated the soul into three parts: First, one part wisdom: philosopher’s soul is governed by. Second, nobility and honor: people of the military caste of mine are controlled. Third, appetite or desire: people spend their lives pursuing pleasure never knowing peace of mind or self control.

The Myth of the Charioteer

Plato’s theory of the soul is the key to the myth of charioteer. Wisdom and caring is portrayed by a charioteer, who controls the two horses. One horse is known for being nobel and attractive while the other is difficult and troublesome. The first one is easily controlled and represents a noble caring part of the human soul and those controlled by it. The latter horse represents the lust of the soul. When allowed to take control will lead to rash decisions and outcomes. The charioteer is a metaphor for people and the horses are a metaphor of their desires. One desire is to better themselves and the other wants to fulfill their lust. The charioteer must have control over both aspects to intertwine them and make important decisions that will not harm them, instead it helps them thrive.

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Rhetoric, Harmony, and Justice

Plato’s art of rhetoric tries to explain health to the individual and polis. Health is a part of the charioteer’s nobility because it controls the horses to voluntarily submit to them. This connects to the polis because the underclass of the state submit their control to those that run the state in hope that there will be peace and the people will be heard.

Rhetoric’s Relationship to Truth

Plato’s belief in rhetoric showed that there is no value in the truth but only in the control. Plato then talks about dialectic revealing the truth through critical questions. This is the main factor in justice in court because by seeking the truth behind a trail, only then will justice be served.