Seite - 175 - in The Complete Plato
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SOCRATES: In my opinion then, Gorgias, the whole of which rhetoric is a
part is not an art at all, but the habit of a bold and ready wit, which knows
how to manage mankind: this habit I sum up under the word ‘flattery’; and it
appears to me to have many other parts, one of which is cookery, which may
seem to be an art, but, as I maintain, is only an experience or routine and not
an art:—another part is rhetoric, and the art of attiring and sophistry are two
others: thus there are four branches, and four different things answering to
them. And Polus may ask, if he likes, for he has not as yet been informed,
what part of flattery is rhetoric: he did not see that I had not yet answered him
when he proceeded to ask a further question: Whether I do not think rhetoric a
fine thing? But I shall not tell him whether rhetoric is a fine thing or not, until
I have first answered, ‘What is rhetoric?’ For that would not be right, Polus;
but I shall be happy to answer, if you will ask me, What part of flattery is
rhetoric?
POLUS: I will ask and do you answer? What part of flattery is rhetoric?
SOCRATES: Will you understand my answer? Rhetoric, according to my
view, is the ghost or counterfeit of a part of politics.
POLUS: And noble or ignoble?
SOCRATES: Ignoble, I should say, if I am compelled to answer, for I call
what is bad ignoble: though I doubt whether you understand what I was
saying before.
GORGIAS: Indeed, Socrates, I cannot say that I understand myself.
SOCRATES: I do not wonder, Gorgias; for I have not as yet explained
myself, and our friend Polus, colt by name and colt by nature, is apt to run
away. (This is an untranslatable play on the name ‘Polus,’ which means ‘a
colt.’)
GORGIAS: Never mind him, but explain to me what you mean by saying
that rhetoric is the counterfeit of a part of politics.
SOCRATES: I will try, then, to explain my notion of rhetoric, and if I am
mistaken, my friend Polus shall refute me. We may assume the existence of
bodies and of souls?
GORGIAS: Of course.
SOCRATES: You would further admit that there is a good condition of
either of them?
GORGIAS: Yes.
SOCRATES: Which condition may not be really good, but good only in
appearance? I mean to say, that there are many persons who appear to be in
175
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Buch The Complete Plato"
The Complete Plato
- Titel
- The Complete Plato
- Autor
- Plato
- Datum
- ~347 B.C.
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- PD
- Abmessungen
- 21.0 x 29.7 cm
- Seiten
- 1612
- Schlagwörter
- Philosophy, Antique, Philosophie, Antike, Dialogues, Metaphysik, Metaphysics, Ideologie, Ideology, Englisch
- Kategorien
- Geisteswissenschaften
- International