The “True Discourse” of persuasion: a comparative look between Plato and the Gorgias

Authors

  • Robson Régis Silva Costa

Keywords:

Plato. Gorgias. Rhetoric. Truth. Persuasion.

Abstract

This article compares Plato’s understanding of the role of persuasion to Gorgias’ notion of valid speech. It highlights the fact that the constitution of logos is marked by ambiguity both in the rhetorical-philosophical discourse of Plato and in the rhetorical-sophistic discourse of Gorgias. Both Plato and Gorgias aim at convincing people that the arguments they propose are valid. All in all, it will be claimed that the way they relate the action of logos to the sensitive world of perceptions and to the interiority of the soul reveals the dynamic aspects of their philosophy.

Author Biography

Robson Régis Silva Costa

Mestrando em Filosofia, Universidade Federal do Ceará.

Published

2009-01-01

Issue

Section

Artigos