The Unity of Plato's 'Gorgias': Rhetoric, Justice, and the Philosophic Life

By Devin Stauffer

Book Overview

Devin Stauffer demonstrates the complex unity of Plato's Gorgias, through a careful analysis of the dialogue's three main sections, including Socrates' famous argumentative duel with Callicles, a passionate critic of justice and philosophy. He reveals how the seemingly disparate themes of rhetoric, justice, and the philosophic life are woven together into a coherent whole. Stauffer's interpretation of the Gorgias sheds new light on Plato's thought, indicating that Plato and Socrates had a more favorable view of rhetoric than is supposed, and challenges some of Socrates' most famous claims about justice.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521108322
• ISBN13: 9780521108324
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"