Gorgias “Encomium on Helen”
Brief Background on Sophists
- The sophists
existed in an oral culture, professed to teach the art of virtue, or excellence.
This excellence was political as well as moral, so a great part of the training
dealt with the use of the spoken word.
- Most of the
sophists were non-Athenian, and traveled to earn their living.
- although theyhad
some gernal features in common, they ascribed to no central authority--formed
no particular movement or school
- Kairos was a
key sophistic concept. It is the full, present context, the speaker, audience
and the moment. The sophists taught students to grasp the situation, to manage
the situation and turn it to their purposes.
- one of the questions
of importance was: does ecxcellence in sociey come from nature or by teaching
and training
Criticisms/Critiques:
- The sophists
were commonly charged with possessing "cleverness" the ability to
turn an argument.
- Plato, in particular,
criticized them for being argumentative--arguing for the sake of argument
and not interested in the search for truth; teaching in an authoratative rhetorical
fashion--delivering their speeches but not answering questions; denying absolute
value of morality; and for claimn to know what they did not know.
- Aristotle criticized
them for self contradicition and shallowness of thought
Sophists We’ll
Read or Read About:
Protagoras:
- the first to
charge for his services as a teacher of political virtue.
- famous for asserting
that "Man is the measure of all things," a relativistic and humanistic
position. Thus, sophistry is associated with appearances (as opposed to reality).
- Also known for
his concept of dissoi logoi (Gk. "different words"), the idea that
there are two contradictory sides to every issue.
- would have his
students practice giving arguments on both sides. These exercises in declamation
were supposed to be so effective as to render the student capable of "making
the weaker cause appear the stronger," another of Protagoras' supposed
claims. This theory, and the practice that grew out of it, became an issue
in the debates between Socrates and the sophists, as we will see.
Gorgias of Leontini:
- "The Sophist"
- came to Athens
from his Sicilian home in 427 B.C. as an ambassador.
- set up a school
in Athens, teaching such subjects as ethics, civic duty, and public speaking.
- Information
about and knowledge of his workis very limited. None of his texts are extant,
so all that we have is quoted material.
- is associated
with the "Gorgianic style," a way of speaking that attempts to raise
the level of spoken prose (an approach that would have a great impact in a
non-literate, oral culture): "I shall not relate the story of who won
Helen or how." Gorgianic style combines a metrical, lyrical delivery
with complex clausal structures to produce a somewhat sing-song quality: "A
passion that loved conquest and a love of honor that was unconquered"
(here we see an example of the figure chiasmus).
Gorgias
of Leontini:
"On
Being" or "On Nature."
- nihilistic skepticism.
Nothing exists, he claims. Of, if it did, it would be incomprehensible. Or,
if is in comprehensible, it would be incommunicable.
- Some scholars
see a direct connection between this ontology and epistemology and the rhetorical
principles that follow from it. If nothing exists and we can't know it or
share the knowledge if it did, then the only reality we can know is that which
we create through discourse.
- However, "On
Being" may also be read as a sophistic exercise. It may have been a playful
exhibition of Gorgias' cleverness
"Encomium
on Helen" 
- was a show speech,
a way to attract students to his school.
- point of the
speech is moot; after all, Helen is long dead.
- text is highly
organized in a tight, logical sequence.
- Most importantly,
Gorgias claims seductive powers for language.
- Words are seen
as having incantatory and narcotic effects on an audience.
- Even the divine
is subject to the power of speech.
- Words are like
wizardry, and persuasion is akin to abduction by force.
- imagine how
this would appeal to prospective students, young men eager to hone their persuasive
abilities.
- imagine too
how Athenians grew suspicious of the sophists, worrying that they were corrupting
the youth.
Gorgias's Encomium on Helen is important as
- an example
of Sophistic oratory;
- an example of
Sophistic pedagogy (in that Gorgias is reported to have taught by example
rather than by precept); and as
- a statement
of the Sophistic belief in the power, or force of language to lead the mind
(