What does Plato say about rhetoric in Phaedrus?

Through Socrates and Phaedrus’s discussion, Plato argues that, while rhetoric in itself isn’t a shameful pursuit, it isn’t enough for a speaker to master rhetorical tools; to truly speak and write well, he must understand souls—that is, a good rhetorician must be a philosopher.

What does Plato say about rhetoric?

In “Gorgias”, one of his Socratic Dialogues, Plato defines rhetoric as the persuasion of ignorant masses within the courts and assemblies. Rhetoric, in Plato’s opinion, is merely a form of flattery and functions similarly to cookery, which masks the undesirability of unhealthy food by making it taste good.

What is the meaning of Plato’s Phaedrus?

Plato’s Phaedrus is a rich and enigmatic text that treats a range of important philosophical issues, including metaphysics, the philosophy of love, and the relation of language to reality, especially in regard to the practices of rhetoric and writing.

What is Plato’s Socrates saying in this bit from Phaedrus?

Phaedrus warns him that he is younger and stronger, and Socrates should “take his meaning” and “stop playing hard to get”.

Why did Plato dislike rhetoric?

Plato’s rejection of rhetoric is built upon two general lines of argument: Democratic weakness: most people are little better than sheep and cannot be trusted to judiciously pierce rhetoric’s “oral” spells. Epistemological weakness: rhetoric lacks proper knowledge.

Did Plato think rhetoric was bad?

Oppositional World Views: Plato & The Sophists The philosopher Plato was in opposition to virtually every belief the Sophists had. He believed in absolute truth and that rhetoric and discourse should be used to uncover this truth. He also believed that false rhetoric was that of the Sophists.

What does the art of rhetoric refer to?

Rhetoric is the art of speaking or writing effectively. It is the art of persuasion. The Power of Language. The Greek philosopher Aristotle divided the methods of persuasion into three categories: Ethos – It appeals to the idea that people tend to believe who they respect.

Is Phaedrus real?

Phaedrus (/ˈfiːdrəs, ˈfɛdrəs/), son of Pythocles, of the Myrrhinus deme (Greek: Φαῖδρος Πυθοκλέους Μυρρινούσιος, Phaĩdros Puthocléous Murrinoúsios; c. 444 – 393 BC), was an ancient Athenian aristocrat associated with the inner-circle of the philosopher Socrates.

What is the theme of Phaedrus?

Plato’s Phaedrus. The central theme of this dialogue is Eros. The problem of love serves as the provocation for the speeches, the content of the speeches and the reflection upon speech as a whole.

Who is Phaedrus in Zen and the art?

Phaedrus was a highly analytical academic prodigy who grew disenchanted with the western intellectual tradition’s limited notion of reason. While teaching English at Montana State University in Bozeman, he begins to develop a philosophy that revolves around a concept he calls Quality.

What does Plato say about rhetoric in the Gorgias?

In the dialogue Gorgias, Plato (through his mentor Socrates) expresses his contempt for sophistical rhetoric; all rhetoric is “a phantom of a branch of statesmanship (463d) …a kind of flattery …that is contemptible,” because its aim is simply pleasure rather than the welfare of the public.