Gorgias

Platonis Opera, Tomus III: Tetralogia V-VII. Burnet, John, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1903.

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This philosophical dialogue explores the true nature of rhetoric—the art of persuasion—and the fundamental ethical question of how one ought to live. Socrates engages in sequential debates with the renowned rhetorician Gorgias, his disciple Polus, and the ambitious politician Callicles. Socrates argues that rhetoric is not a genuine art but a form of 'flattery' lacking true knowledge, demonstrating that committing injustice is a greater evil than suffering it, and that those who escape punishment for their misdeeds are the most miserable. Against Callicles, who advocates for a 'natural justice' where the strong indulge their desires without limit, Socrates counters that temperance and an ordered soul constitute true virtue, and that genuine politics must aim at improving the citizens' souls. The work concludes with an eschatological myth of the afterlife's judgment, asserting that only a life dedicated to practicing justice and keeping the soul healthy can bring ultimate happiness.