Source edition
Isocrates, Vol 2. Norlin, George, editor. Cambridge, MA, Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann Ltd. 1929 (printing).
Source data
Perseus Digital Library · CC BY-SA (per Perseus's terms)
Cloned and adapted by Humanitext, with ongoing edits.
Summary
This work is a declaratory speech in which Isocrates outlines his educational principles while criticizing the deceptive rhetorical training offered by contemporary sophists. The author begins by exposing the contradictions of the sophists, who promise to predict the future and teach virtue yet demand meager fees and distrust their own students, thereby bringing philosophy into disrepute. He then refutes those who claim that political oratory can be taught through rigid rules, arguing that speech (logos) is creative and adaptable to specific occasions, and that its mastery requires natural talent and experience. Finally, rejecting previous textbook writers who focused solely on impractical courtroom pleading, he asserts that his own instruction in political discourse is truly beneficial for cultivating justice and moral character.