Western - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Western

Civ 101-03

Class 7 (we won’t finish this)

Feb. 4, 2015Slide2

Philosophy and Rhetoric in Conflict

Idealism and Pragmatism as candidate replacements for religion.Slide3

Pre-Socratic Philosophers/PhilosophiesIf the Gods aren’t responsible for it all, what is it and how does it work? Among others:

Thales: everything is (modified) water.Anaximenes: everything is (modified) air.Empedocles: all things made of a mix of four elements: Earth, Water, Air, and FirePythagoras of Samos: everything is in harmony.Heraclitus of Ephesus: everything is in flux.Zeno: everything is static (no real motion).

Parmenides: timeless/unified universe.

Protagoras: man is the measure of all thingsSlide4

Pre-Socratic SophistsIf man is the measure of all things, how do we work out what is and what’s best?PAIDEIA: TO ATTAIN EXCELLENCE IN ALL THINGSNEEDS OF THE CITY-STATE, CIRCA 500 BC (Notice how these are contradictory and

contested):EDUCATE POLIS TOWARD CITIZENSHIPEDUCATE ARISTOCRACY TO HOLD PLACE DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION Slide5

Pre-Socratic Sophiststhe first Western teachersAt first, mostly “foreigners” and “itinerant”At first, didn’t take pay, only shelter and food.Eventually, hired on/lived in/some even did well.Often “performed” in public as a way to drum up sponsorship/business.Eventually, developed “specialties” and sometimes sold services related to those.

Toward the end, started “private schools.”Will be repeatedly imported and expelled, by the Romans, in 100 year waves.Slide6

What ALL the Sophists (generally) TaughtRegardless of the type, the sophists generally professed to touch on the following:VIRTUE: these ideals varied, depending on the cultural contexts of the day and the audience: bravery, wisdom, honor, loyalty, leadership, participation. Paideia is the key notion here: toward the highest development of Greek values through education.

TECHNE: relatively content-free communication methods SUCCESSFUL DISCOURSE: in Greece, Rome, as now, the bottom line was crucial. Slide7

Varieties of Sophists“TEACHERS.” Lots of fociCULTURAL: claimed to teach about all knowledge. Some did it well; others only claimed to do so and could not deliver. Through this function, however, the sophists played a major role protecting and passing on the cultural heritage they are so often accused of destroying.

DISPUTATIONAL: taught primarily forensic argument. These, especially later, came to be associated with logographers in the nefarious practice of selling set speeches for use in courts. RHETORICAL: taught the relatively content-free methods of rhetoric. Taught students how to go about communicating effectively. In later years, sometimes stooped to merely teaching delivery and style. POLITICAL: taught toward success in public life. Slide8

Pre-Socratic Sophists Progatoras: Man is the measure of all things. Philosophical notion of

skepticism. Also proposed that two-sided arguments will help determine truth.Empedocles: antithetical thought: dissoi-logic= due to an awareness of the limitations brought on by sense perceptions (Bacon will later build on this theme), one should propose reciprocal oppositions as a way to move toward the truth and reality of

things.

Corax

/

Tisias

:

General

probability (one of any two statements is more likely than the other). Arguments based on likelihood, probability, rather than

so-called “facts.”

Four parts of the speech (introduction, argument, refutation, conclusion).

Gorgias

:

Poetic

style

in,

especially extensive use of figurative language. Theory of knowledge based on Protagoras' skepticism (Nothing exists, even if it did we can't know it, even if we could, we could not express it to others). Theory of the opportune,

vis

-a-

vis

audiences--getting them into the right frame/time/space for the message.

Lysias

: plain, middle, grand styles of speech

.Slide9

Socrates

We’d like to blame the Socratic dialog and some philosophy on Socrates, but we only know of him through Plato, and Plato mixes their ideas. We know he was at odds with almost everyone (so we can assume he was at odds with the Sophists)We know he was an idealist; for example, he wouldn’t escape his death sentence, even though he could have.Slide10

PlatoEstablishes a philosophical ideal: true knowledge of the true good; sometimes referred to as "knowledge of the TRUTH

.How can we come to have such knowledge?Theory of KnowledgeDialecticSlide11

Plato’s Theory of Knowledge3 levels of KnowingREALITY--the godly intent, the image, the model. Only true philosophy can reach this knowledge.

RESEMBLANCES--the usable human re-creation based on the ideal model. True creativity, informed by philosophy, may reach this knowledge. For instance, functional architectural arts and (perhaps) pure dialectical reasoning operate here)APPEARANCES--the symbolic representation (which is very often a mis-representation)You’ll read about this in the “Allegory of the Cave” from the RepublicSlide12

Plato’s Socratic Method2 forms of Dialectic”TRUTH" comes to be knows via dialogue. For Socrates, questioning premises and answers until all mistakes are eliminated.Posited (

received) truth to which a leader helps the followers' arrive. The philosopher (like Plato) learns the truth via divine revelation, contemplation, and introspection then shares this truth with others.Two types that Plato DID NOT POSIT and WOULD NOT ACCEPTNON-PLATONIC/SOCRATIC DIALECTIC "rhetorical "dialogue through which the issue is examined so that the end product is more true than the starting point--and is mutually agreeable given its bipartisan and/or argumentative development

.

Revolutionary

dialectic, in which the clash between thesis and antithesis produces synthesis...new knowledge

. (

Nietzsche

)Slide13

Plato’s Critique of Rhetoricin many works, esp. GorgiasRhetoric is not an art.It is a knack, comparable to cookery as a form of flattery as compared to medicine as a form of giving- life. Rhetoric revels in the pseudo-art of appearances.

Rhetoric does not confer true power. Power is gained by honestly held position, by leading rightly, or by the knowledgeable pursuit of noble ends. Rhetoric's power is false.More people use rhetoric to escape deserved punishment than as a protection against persecution. Rhetoric is seldom used rightly.We think that his critiques mirror those of SocratesSlide14

Plato’s Renovation of Rhetoricin his last work, PhaedrusKnow the truth of the matter before you speak. Avoid deceptive probabilities. Lead toward truthKnow the souls of all men, and of those of your audience, and know what will move those souls toward acceptance of the truth you bring.

Have high moral purpose Define terms clearly and completely Order and arrange the materials according to sound rhetorical principles. Use proper style and delivery

Interactive

discourse is preferable to monologue.

Orality

is preferable to

writing.

This might all be putting Rhetoric virtually out of reach of humans (

cept

, later, the Christians will LOVE THIS STUFF)Slide15

AristotleStudent of Plato who studied and wrote about just about everything then known to the Greeks/learned world, including:

CATEGORIES, ON INTERPRETATION, PRIOR ANALYTICS, POSTERIOR ANALYTICS, TOPICS, ON SOPHISTICAL REFUTATION, METAPHYSICS, ETHICS, POLITICS, POETICSThrough these, he has presented how basic statements get made (accurately or not), how those are combined, how scientific arguments work, how scientific arguments are countered, how metaphysics, ethics, politics, and tragedy and comedy work. There are also scientific works that I’ve left out. Slide16

Aristotle on RhetoricFOUR REASONS THAT RHETORIC IS USEFULTo uphold the truth To teach To analyze issues thoroughly, both sides (and more) To defend oneself (and the right)

In other words, idealism aside THIS IS HOW HUMANS REASON, MAKE DECISIONS, TAKE ACTIONDEFINITION OF RHETORIC: THE ART OF DISCOVERING IN ANY GIVEN CASE WHAT ARE THE MEANS OF PERSUASION.Three forms of artistic proof: Ethos, Pathos, Logical ArgumentAND LOTS MORE