Persuasion, Justice and Democracy in Plato’s Crito

Speeches and persuasion dominate Plato’s Crito. This paper, paying particular attention to the final passage in the dialogue, shows that the focus on speeches, persuasion and allusions to many other elements of rhetoric is an integral part of Plato’s severe criticism of democracy, one of the main po...

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Main Author: Yosef Z. Liebersohn
Format: Article
Language:deu
Published: Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan 2015-02-01
Series:Peitho
Subjects:
Online Access:https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/peitho/article/view/8362
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spelling doaj-315e7b7b740f437aaef5a65e2acd380c2020-11-25T03:41:47ZdeuAdam Mickiewicz University, PoznanPeitho2082-75392015-02-016110.14746/pea.2015.1.88108Persuasion, Justice and Democracy in Plato’s CritoYosef Z. LiebersohnSpeeches and persuasion dominate Plato’s Crito. This paper, paying particular attention to the final passage in the dialogue, shows that the focus on speeches, persuasion and allusions to many other elements of rhetoric is an integral part of Plato’s severe criticism of democracy, one of the main points of the Crito. Speeches allow members of a democracy – represented in our dialogue by Crito – firstly to break the law for self-interested reasons while considering themselves still to be law-abiding citizens, and secondly to feel that they are in a tolerant society preferring logos/persuasive speech above bia/compulsion. Socrates counters Crito’s speeches with speeches of his own, not only to defeat him at his own game, but also to make him aware how dangerous the game is. Real knowledge is preferable to speeches, but a democracy without speeches and rhetoric is doomed. https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/peitho/article/view/8362PlatoCritoPersuasionRhetoricSpeechesDemocracy
collection DOAJ
language deu
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Yosef Z. Liebersohn
spellingShingle Yosef Z. Liebersohn
Persuasion, Justice and Democracy in Plato’s Crito
Peitho
Plato
Crito
Persuasion
Rhetoric
Speeches
Democracy
author_facet Yosef Z. Liebersohn
author_sort Yosef Z. Liebersohn
title Persuasion, Justice and Democracy in Plato’s Crito
title_short Persuasion, Justice and Democracy in Plato’s Crito
title_full Persuasion, Justice and Democracy in Plato’s Crito
title_fullStr Persuasion, Justice and Democracy in Plato’s Crito
title_full_unstemmed Persuasion, Justice and Democracy in Plato’s Crito
title_sort persuasion, justice and democracy in plato’s crito
publisher Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan
series Peitho
issn 2082-7539
publishDate 2015-02-01
description Speeches and persuasion dominate Plato’s Crito. This paper, paying particular attention to the final passage in the dialogue, shows that the focus on speeches, persuasion and allusions to many other elements of rhetoric is an integral part of Plato’s severe criticism of democracy, one of the main points of the Crito. Speeches allow members of a democracy – represented in our dialogue by Crito – firstly to break the law for self-interested reasons while considering themselves still to be law-abiding citizens, and secondly to feel that they are in a tolerant society preferring logos/persuasive speech above bia/compulsion. Socrates counters Crito’s speeches with speeches of his own, not only to defeat him at his own game, but also to make him aware how dangerous the game is. Real knowledge is preferable to speeches, but a democracy without speeches and rhetoric is doomed.
topic Plato
Crito
Persuasion
Rhetoric
Speeches
Democracy
url https://pressto.amu.edu.pl/index.php/peitho/article/view/8362
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