Gorgias
by Plato
- First published
- 1848
- Reading level
- Plain English
- Price
- Free
About the book
"Gorgias" by Plato is a Socratic dialogue written around 380 BC. Through probing questions at a dinner gathering, Socrates challenges self-proclaimed teachers of rhetoric about the true nature of their craft. Is rhetoric an art or merely flattery? Can persuasive speech be moral without philosophy? The dialogue explores whether the power of words serves truth and justice, or simply pleasure and political advantage, as Socrates confronts the celebrated rhetoricians of Athens.
- Classical literature
- Political science
- Ethics
Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #1672. Gorgias on Wikipedia.
