1. The Sophists Logos the Mighty Potentate

2. Preview Corax v. Tisias: Who wins?

3. Tisias, a student of Corax, once asked his teacher what rhetoric was. Replied Corax, “Rhetoric is the artificer of persuasion (peithō).” Having got his definition, Tisias then tested his teacher. “Imagine we’re in court,” he said. “You’re suing me for unpaid fees. If I persuade (peithein) the judges that I shouldn’t have to pay, then I don’t pay. But if I fail to carry my point, then I still shouldn’t have to pay. You’ll have failed to teach me.” To that, Corax replied, “Don’t forget that I get my turn, too. So if I win, then you’ll have to pay. But if I lose, I’ll still deserve my fee. For I’ll have shown that I can train students so well that they can beat me at my own game.” (Adapted from an anonymous Preface to the Art of Rhetoric 14.26-27)

4. Agenda Recap and Update Democracy in Crisis, Sophistic Doxa in the Air Protagoras, Gorgias Sophistic Rhetoric? McComiskey on Gorgias

5. Recap and Update Democracy in Crisis, Sophistic

6. Democracy and its Discontents Themes Sophists “New Politicians” Stasis Recovery Theory Michels – Iron Law of Oligarchy Weber – Charismatic authority Finley – Critique…

7. Finley’s Critique (of Weber, Michels) 1. Athens atypical.  Weberian typology inadequate. 2. Demagogues rare. 3. Structure unstable. 4. Popular legitimation contradicted...  by elitist model.

8. Sophists: Preview EPISTEMOLOGY – relativism Protagoras – doxa (appearances) Gorgias Protagoras Antiphon ETHICS – Nature (phusis) v. convention (nomos) Antiphon Archelaus of Athens RHETORIC – logos – limitations, powers Gorgias – epideixis POLITICS, EDUCATION – All of above

9. Sophist, Word Notes Word Notes Sophia Sophist (sophistēs) Sophistic (sophistikē tekhnē) Sophistry (sophisma) Characteristics Professional pedagogue Curriculum... – household management – political virtue – critical thinking

10. Doxa in the Air Protagoras, Gorgias

11. Protagorean Relativism 1 (ontology) REALITY = doxa “appearances” (epistemology) KNOWLEDGE = doxa “opinion” “Human beings are the measure of all things: of the things that are, that they are, of the things that are not, that they are not.”

12. Protagorean Relativism 2 “For every... debate there are two … positions (logoi)” (fr. 6a) “... to make the weaker argument (logos) the stronger...” (fr. 6b) “Good speakers make the good instead of the evil seem just” (Plato Theaetetus 167b)

13. Gorgias: On Being Nothing exists But if it did, unknowable But if knowable, incommunicable  But if communicable, as what?

14. Logos in the Helen Manipulating... Appearances (doxa) Opinions (doxa) Emotions (pathē) Actions (praxeis) Through... Word pictures (eidōla) Word magic (mageia) Sophistic as pharmakon (drug/poison), sophistic as antidote.

15. Sophistic Rhetoric? McComiskey on Gorgias