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Final Paper

Marcus Chan
Teresa Welch
Philosophy 1000
5/2/16
Final Paper
Plato's Gorgias and Aristotle's Rhetoric
Plato and Aristotle are connected to each other not just because they were
renowned Greek Philosophers of the ancient world but also because Aristotle was also
the student of Plato. However, Aristotle deviated from the views of Plato and took a
unique view of numerous aspects of philosophy. Plato was a logical thinker and was of
the opinion that the realism can only be grabbed by natural reason; on the other hand,
Aristotle was a pragmatist who saw observation as the only opportunity to realism. In
this way, Aristotle was a realist or pragmatist, whereas, Plato was mainly an idealist.
Plato made available his philosophical explorations such a form that was being
utilized by Socrates, his mentor, that form was the Socratic dialogue. The Gorgias by
Plato is written in the form of an exchange conversation. On the other hand, Aristotle,
even though had wrote some dialogs, but did not ordinarily used the dialogue form.
Most of the work by Aristotle was in the form of essays. Despite the fact that Aristotle
agreed with Plato on numerous issues and ideas, but also, their views differed on a
large number of noteworthy philosophical and real-world conceptions (Olmsted, 2008).

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One of the forms upon which the views of Plato and Aristotle differed was civic
rhetoric. In his piece of writing, Gorgias, Plato had argued that rhetoric, in actuality, is
not an operative method of communication, predominantly when it is associated with the
interaction. As a converse approach, Aristotle believed that the convincing rhetoric is
quite effective to form, preserve and encourage public discourse. Plato has formed his
condemnation of rhetoric in the form of a Socratic dialogue called, which is called
Gorgias. In this dialogue form, Plato has criticized the rhetorical powers, along with the
political powers of the Doctrinaires in the city states of Greeks (Dow, 2015).
Plato had argued in support of dialectic over the rhetoric, which allows humans to
incline in the direction of a higher consideration of forms and Ideas. In Gorgias, Plato
argued that the citizen can only find the happiness and virtues in the form of an Ideal
state. Socrates has used the question and answer method to inflame his adversary into
particularity rather than the empty imagery. Plato used the moral, philosophical rhetoric
and argued that rhetoric conveys such a truth to people who are already known by
them.
Aristotle, on the other hand, used the scientific rhetoric, based on the use of
enthymemes, syllogisms, and logical thinking. According to Aristotle, the rhetoric is an
additional means of discovering the truth, which is the counterpart to dialectic. Plato had
used the rhetoric to eliminate the decisions of the people by describing them, which is
the correct by the truth. For Plato, Rhetoric is more apprehensive with the monarchy of
the scientific speech, he criticized the Rhetoric in the Gorgias and had emphasized on

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the dissipation of utilizing rhetoric to exculpate the family and friends of the orator who
are guilty (Dow, 2015).
Plato impacted Aristotle, generally as Socrates impacted Plato. Plato turned into
the essential Greek scholar in light of his binds to Socrates and Aristotle and the
nearness of his works, which were utilized until his foundation came apart in 529 A.D.
For hundreds of years, established instruction appointed Plato's fills in as required
perusing, and The Republic was the chief work on political hypothesis until the
nineteenth century, appreciated for its perspectives, as well as for its exquisite writing.
Aristotle and his works turned into the premise for the both religion and science,
particularly through the Middle Ages. In religion, Aristotelian morals were the premise for
St. Thomas Aquinas' works that produced Christian thought on through and through
freedom and the part of ideals. Though a large portion of Plato's works have made due
as the centuries progressed, around 80% of what Aristotle composed has been lost.
What stays of Aristotle's works are address notes and showing helps draft-level material
that does not have the shine of "completed" distributions (Dow, 2015).
Indeed, even in this way, these works affected rationality, morals, science,
material science, stargazing, pharmaceutical, legislative issues, and religion for a long
time. Plato's works can be isolated into three periods. His initial period included quite a
bit of what is thought about Socrates, with Plato playing the part of the loyal understudy
who keeps his mentor's thoughts alive. A large portion of these works is composed as

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exchanges, utilizing the Socratic Method (making inquiries to investigate ideas and
learning) as the premise for instructing.
Plato's The Apology talks about the trial of execution and his instructor, is
incorporated into this period. Plato trusted that ideas had an all-inclusive structure, a
perfect structure, which prompts his hopeful theory. For Plato, thought investigations
and thinking would be sufficient to "demonstrate" an idea or build up the characteristics
of an article, yet Aristotle rejected this for direct perception and experience. The
connection between Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle is most evident with regards to their
perspectives on morals.
Plato was Socratic in his conviction that learning is righteousness, all by itself.
This definition set Aristotelian morals on a pragmatic plane, as opposed to the likely one
upheld by Socrates and Plato. For Socrates and Plato, shrewdness is the fundamental
righteousness and with it, one can bind together all temperances into an entirety.
Aristotle trusted that intelligence was prudent, however that accomplishing ethical news
was neither programmed nor did it give any unification (getting) of different
temperances (Diffen.com).
To Aristotle, intelligence was an objectively accomplished when exertion, and
unless a man thought and acted shrewdly, different excellences would stay out of
compass. Plato's commitments to science, as that of most other Greek scholars, were
pre-dominated by Aristotle's. Plato wrote about arithmetic, geometry, and material
science, yet his work was more exploratory in idea than really pertinent. Plato felt that

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the individual ought to subsume his or her interests to that of society with a specific end
goal to accomplish an immaculate from of government.
The tone and perspective are that of a world class dealing with the less
competent, yet not at all like the Spartan theocracy that Plato battled against, the
Republic would take after a more philosophical and less military way. Plato was
conceived around 424 B.C. Plato was given the name Aristotles, a family name, and
embraced Plato (signifying "wide" and "solid") later when he was a wrestler. Any top
white-collar class of the time, Plato was taught by coaches, investigating an extensive
variety of subjects focused largely on theory, what might now be called morals. Plato
battled as a fighter somewhere around 409 and 404 B.C.
According to Aristotle, the rhetoric is utilized to subsidize to the process of
decision making within the people. Aristotle was mainly apprehensive with the dominion
of the premeditated rhetoric and has faith in that the truth comes about proceeding to
the rhetoric as Plato argues, on the other hand, that rhetoric can be utilized to deliberate
the likelihoods or uncertainties along with the certainties. Aristotles main point was that
not all the audiences can be inculcated; rather, some of the audiences must be
convinced to make more validation of the differences between Aristotles rhetoric along
with the rhetoric of Plato (Olmsted, 2008).
The idea of public speaking is not considered to be a good idea for the reason
that the audience is too common and for that reason, it modifies the truth just because
of the modification and distinctions in the communal beliefs amongst the different group.

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Aristotle has agreed with the amendment of the truth in his conversation of the rhetorical
state of affairs. On the other hand, Aristotle has said that we must comprehend that our
knowledge residues inaccuracy and, for that reason, assumptions are the only
prospects. For Aristotle, this is the restriction of the rhetoric, but then again, this is not
the reason to evade public discourse completely (Dow, 2015).
The idea of Plato (Socrates) is correct that all the kinds of persuasions either can
create belief or knowledge. On the other hand, the idea of Aristotle about the hallmarks
of well-drawn laws Aristotle has elaborated the ordinary people either do this randomly
or by practice to form and acquire the habit. Thus, the ways of persuasion are mainly
the forms of arts, whereas, the other things are merely the accessories. Thus, in a strict
manner, the Rhetoric is considered the kind of persuasion.
When I consider my ideas of interaction with the public, I find Aristotles idea of
Rhetoric to be more realistic. Plato did not believe Rhetoric to be a suitable form of the
communication with the public. Plato was mainly a logical thinker and thought that
natural reason can only grip realism. On the other hand, Aristotle was a realistic or
pragmatist and used his observation as the only opportunity to realism. In this way,
Aristotle was a realist or pragmatist, whereas, Plato was mainly an idealist.
Being a person who lives in a real world setting, the ideas of a realistic or
pragmatic seem more applicable than the ideas of a visionary. Also, the thoughts of
Plato do not appear to be much helpful when one decides about public interaction in the
real setting. Conversely, the ideas of Aristotle are supported by logical points and

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observations which seem to be more relevant in the real world environment, such as,
Rhetoric can be applied in a public speaking or routine conversation. This is why I find
the ideas of Aristotle regarding Rhetoric and other terms to be more helpful when I
decide about the public discussion in the present era.

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References
Diffen.com. (n.d.). Aristotle vs. Plato. Retrieved April 30, 2016, from
http://www.diffen.com/: http://www.diffen.com/difference/Aristotle_vs_Plato
Dow, J. (2015). Passions and Persuasion in Aristotle's Rhetoric. London: Oxford
University Press.
Olmsted, W. (2008). Rhetoric: An Historical Introduction. New York: John Wiley & Sons,.