Gorgias - Phaedrus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gorgias - Phaedrus - Essay Example He believes that justice defines equal proportions to all as the most powerful and less powerful people are all considered to have equal rights and responsibilities. Intelligent he believes that justice does not come from power but is attained through equality. He differs with the definition of natural justice which states that ‘the weak are there to be ruled’ but instead considers slaves to be stronger than their masters due to the difference in daily experiences (Wardy, 2005. Pg. 59). Socrates is persuasive as he insists on knowing Gorgias concept of examining nature of rhetoric. He pesters Gorgias to explain to him the art in rhetoric. This is portrayed in an extract of their conversation when Gorgias says, â€Å"Therefore I claim that the art of Rhetoric has to do with the words, and maintain that may claim is correct.† Socrates responds by saying, â€Å"I wonder whether I understand the kind of thing you wish to call it.†(Wardy, 2005. Pg. 62) Socrates also believes in inner personal drive as he tells Callicles that a slave is better than his master as he possesses greater strength. In Phaedrus, Socrates is given the characters of a critic as he criticizes the speech written by Lysias the love aspect presented by the logographer thus proposing that â€Å"the speech should focus on the non-lover rather than the lover.† In conjunction to this, he bears the character of a hypocrite as he praises Love in his speech having disputed it on Lysias’s writings (Plato, 2008). The persuasive nature of Socrates makes him to strive in the verge of finding out the true definition of rhetoric. In his view, rhetoric is divided into two approaches. The first approach uses flattery and shameful public harangue. Second approach considers the creation of a good image in a dialogue as a writer tends to strive towards what is considered to be