The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy (Paperback, 2nd Ed.)

"The Rhetoric of Morality and Philosophy," one of the most groundbreaking works of twentieth-century Platonic studies, is now back in print for a new generation of students and scholars to discover. In this volume, distinguished classicist Seth Benardete interprets and pairs two important Platonic dialogues, the "Gorgias" and the "Phaedrus," illuminating Socrates' notion of rhetoric and Plato's conception of morality and eros in the human soul. Following his discussion of the "Gorgias" as a dialogue about the rhetoric of morality, Benardete turns to the "Phaedrus" as a discourse about genuine rhetoric, namely the science of eros, or true philosophy. This novel interpretation addresses numerous issues in Plato studies: the relation between the structure of the "Gorgias "and the image of soul/city in the "Republic," the relation between the structure of "Phaedrus" and the concept of eros, and Socrates' notion of ignorance, among others.