Platonic Seminar: Plato's Gorgias

What separates rhetoric from philosophy? Is rhetoric good, something that helps us succeed in life by making us more persuasive? Or is it neutral, a tool to be used for good or bad purposes? Or (as Socrates seems to think) is it perhaps even evil, a mask that hides and fosters the growth of immoralistic ethical commitments? If so, what are these covert ethical commitments, and can they be rationally criticized? Whatever our answer, what are the implications for our own lives and practices? Does, for instance, Plato's critique of rhetoric undermine key assumptions of democratic politics or of our legal system, as some have argued?

Stanford students and recent graduates are invited to join Zephyr this term to explore these and other questions as together we read through one of the most exhilarating and influential of Plato's early dialogues, the Gorgias. In this dialogue, Socrates engages in discussion with Gorgias, a contemporary practitioner and teacher of rhetoric. The discussion concerns the nature of the craft (rhetoric) that Gorgias professes to teach—but soon expands into deep questions about the nature of the good life. It turns out that the way the practitioners of rhetoric conceive of their craft may be tied to ethical commitments that are truly radical and undermine much that we take for granted.

Schedule

We will read the dialogue over the course of four sessions:

• January 28th, 6:00–8:00pm

• February 4th, 6:00–8:00pm

• February 18th, 6:00–8:00pm

• March 4th, 6:00–8:00pm

  
  

No prior reading is required in advance of the first meeting. We will read the text together. Paperback copies of the Gorgias will be provided to all participants of the reading group at our first meeting. Dinner will be provided to all attendees.

Logistical details

Attendees need not come to all four sessions to attend. Those who miss earlier sessions should, however, remain current on the readings if they wish to come to later sessions.

Participants need sign up only once to attend all four sessions. If you sign up and are no longer able to make it to one or more of the sessions, please let Zephyr know so that we can plan accordingly.

About the speaker

Landon Hobbs is Research Fellow and Director of Academic Programs at the Zephyr Institute. His research focuses on Ancient Greek philosophy, especially the theoretical philosophy of Aristotle. He received his PhD from Stanford University in 2023 and is currently pursuing a research project on the content, justification, and use of the ancient metaphysical principle that the cause must precontain its effect.