Philosophy vs. Politics in Plato's Gorgias: Rhetoric & Democracy

Introduction: Rhetoric and Philosophy in the Gorgias

In Plato's dialogue Gorgias, the title character — a teacher of rhetoric — does rhetorical battle with the philosopher Socrates. Several individuals enter the dialogue, most notably Callicles, who over the course of the work emerges as a rather callous individual. His attitudes serve as proof that although Gorgias calculatingly instructs individuals in how to comport themselves to sway the masses, such sophistry is a false basis for deciding how best to govern, and who is best suited to govern.

The ideas stressed in Callicles' philosophy of government are diametrically opposed to those of Socrates. The dialogue suggests this is because Callicles simply wishes to win arguments rather than to establish what is right and just. Socrates, on the other hand, aspires to the true and actual attainment of wisdom. Nevertheless, outside of the general negative tone toward rhetoric in the construction of The Gorgias as a dialogue between Socrates and the sophists, the latter — even including the philosophy of Callicles — does not advocate an entirely indefensible position.

Callicles, Socrates, and the Nature of Truth

The ideas stressed in Callicles' philosophy of government stand in sharp contrast to those of Socrates. Callicles is primarily interested in winning arguments and acquiring power, whereas Socrates devotes himself to the pursuit of genuine wisdom and justice. Yet it would be too simple to dismiss Callicles' position outright. Democratic notions of opinion suggest that relational truth is grounded in individual self-perception — what is right and correct for one human being is not necessarily best for another. This relativism, however uncomfortable to the Socratic view, has a real purchase in democratic life.

Democracy, Opinion, and the Marketplace of Ideas

Obtaining the tools of rhetorical persuasion enables an individual, in a democracy, to advocate his or her point of view in the marketplace of ideas. The teacher Gorgias advocates this, though not particularly persuasively over the course of the dialogue — he sounds rather like an Athenian soft-soap seller from Madison Avenue, claiming that with his instruction, one will be able to convince the banker, the doctor, and virtually anyone to do one's bidding. Persuasion itself, he argues, is the chief tool of rhetoric and the ultimate object of the skill.

Callicles takes this further and in a far more troubling direction, equating the ability to persuade and to obtain power with what is good and true. For Callicles, power is not merely a useful instrument — it is the measure of virtue itself.

Conclusion: Leadership, Persuasion, and Democratic Governance

Rhetoric should not be abused, and must be carefully deployed, like a pugilist's skill, in the hands of those who possess it — to use Gorgias' own metaphor. Simply because those who are best at persuasion may appear to hold the greatest power in the cities does not mean that, despite their own and the people's judgment, they are the most fit to govern (Plato 49). Yet although this is true, the ability to connect with others both emotionally and logically — to communicate with other human beings in their fullness — is not only a commendable quality in a leader, but perhaps a necessary one.

After all, a great teacher like Socrates may not make a great political leader, any more than a great advertiser like Gorgias or a powerful actor like the Athenian version of Callicles might make a great statesman. Plato's political philosophy ultimately calls us to ask not merely who can persuade, but who possesses the wisdom and justice to govern well — a question as urgent in modern democracies as it was in ancient Athens.

Works Cited

Plato. Gorgias. Translated with introduction, notes, and interpretive essay by James H. Nichols.