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Gorgias (/ ˈ ɡ ɔːr ɡ i ə s /; [1] Greek: Γοργίας [ɡorɡíaːs]) is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato around 380 BC. The dialogue depicts a conversation between Socrates and a small group at a dinner gathering.
Callicles poses an immoralist argument that consists of four parts: “(1) a critique of conventional justice, (2) a positive account of ‘justice according to nature’, (3) a theory of the virtues, and (4) a hedonistic conception of the good.” [2] For the first aspect of the argument, Callicles supports the ruling of strong individuals and criticizes the weak for trying to undermine them.
Gorgias was born c. 483 BC in Leontinoi, a Chalcidian colony in eastern Sicily that was allied with Athens. [9] His father's name was Charmantides. [9] He had a brother named Herodicus, who was a physician, and sometimes accompanied him during his travels. [10]
In the first chapter of Plato's Republic, authored around 375 BC Thrasymachus claims that "justice is nothing else than the interest of the stronger", which Socrates then disputes. [8] Callicles in Gorgias argues similarly that the strong should rule the weak, as a right owed to their superiority. [9]
Socratic questioning (or Socratic maieutics) [1] is an educational method named after Socrates that focuses on discovering answers by asking questions of students. According to Plato, Socrates believed that "the disciplined practice of thoughtful questioning enables the scholar/student to examine ideas and be able to determine the validity of those ideas". [2]
There are 51 Byzantine manuscripts in Greek minuscule that constitute the main basis for the text of Plato's works. [2] Codex Oxoniensis Clarkianus 39 — 895 AD; first six tetralogies, designated B. [3] Codex Parisinus graecus 1807 — circa 900 AD; last two tetralogies and the apocrypha, designated A
What follows is a series of questions and answers, typical of Plato's earlier dialogues, featuring Socrates' famous method of dialectics. First, he asks Agathon whether it is reasonable for someone to desire what they already have, like for example someone who is in perfect health to wish he were healthy (200a-e).
The fundamental goal of dialectic, in this instance, was to establish a precise definition of the subject (in this case, rhetoric) and with the use of argumentation and questioning, make the subject even more precise. In the Gorgias, Socrates reaches the truth by asking a series of questions and in return, receiving short, clear answers.