Friday, September 7, 2012
hmmmm
Wow...this was a long and drawn out argument! I think Socrates did to Gorgias, Callicles, and Polus what he did to me. Sent my head realing in circles! I found myself much like Callicles thinking that Socrates' parallels couldn't be answered with a simple yes or no, but I felt a lot like Socrates was saying, "Let me ask you these questions" aka "Let me argue in my own way (the way in which I know I will win) and if you can refute me then, please, do so! But I'm going to ask yes or no questions all the time..." Many of his questions could have answers just as long and drawn out as his arguments. He made his points by using very simple examples and drawing parallels, but I just don't think life is that simple. Is life so simple that you should compare politicians to shoe makers? Not to say that one is better or more great than the other...but are they similar enough to make these arguments? I'm lost in a dizzy... :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Dialectic as practiced by Socrates works in that sort of relentless fashion where it moves forward, in the direction Socrates wants it to, even when the other speakers have a sense that they are controlling the discourse themselves. I think that Socrates would agree that life isn't that simple; but he'd also hold onto the idea that there are true things, which are true independent of any kind of argumentative tactics we use.
ReplyDelete