Hodgepodge of Thoughts on Isocrates

     C.S. Lewis had a physical impediment he inherited from his father that restricted the range of motion in his thumb. He said that as a boy he dreamed of making models of ships and castles, but his disabled thumb made model-making difficult if not impossible. So he put his creative efforts into writing, creating imaginary worlds with words instead of paper and string. In essence, his impediment gave him the freedom to explore a way of experiencing the world that he might have otherwise missed. His disability prompted discovery of an ability. The same can be said of Isocrates. His weakness in oratory arts led him to re-imagine how he might experience the world of rhetoric; thus, he put his efforts into written argument and others were blessed by the sequence of events. Much has been written of Isocrates’s lackluster speaking skills, but perhaps he wouldn’t have become “the father of teaching” had he been a polished orator (is this where we get that terrible saying “those who can’t do teach”?).

     I like that Isocrates puts an emphasis on writing as an intellectual (rather than practical) pursuit. He was promoting a “writing to learn” philosophy, what 2400 years before William Zinsser?

     I wish I knew Greek, and could read and hear Isocrates’ prose in his native language. I know enough about Greek to know that Homeric poetry, written in dactylic hexameter, doesn’t translate well into English, a language more suited for iambic pentameter (Shakespeare’s preferred rhythm and meter). I think we can only approximate—never replicate—the prose of the Greeks, which is a shame.

     I find it interesting that Isocrates finds fault with the sophists for professing to teach virtue, but demanding pay for it. Isn’t this what a university does? Isn’t this the model we use now?

Lessons from Gorgias

What are contemporary applications or lessons you could apply from the work of Gorgias in your own life?

The particular contemporary application I draw from Encomium of Helen is one related to critical thinking. Gorgias was willing to view a commonly accepted idea from a different perspective. Gorgias was surrounded by a unified perspective of Helen’s relationship with Paris (Alexander); yet, he was willing to voice an alternative narrative, an argument exonerating her. Though unpopular, his reasons were sound, or at least as sound as the arguments condemning her.   

The second contemporary application I can draw from Gorgias is to wrestle with tensions and paradoxes, understanding that language—more than any other vehicle—can get me close to having wisdom, but that language is also a barrier to knowing truth. The tension between harmony and discord can be resolved through language. As TCR-ers, we probably all believe this in large measure; otherwise, what are we doing here? Plato criticizes Gorgias’s emphasis on style, but it seems from the texts we read, that Gorgias valued reason, but enjoyed the challenge and amusement of decoration in written and oratory arts.

I like satire (everything from Jonathan Swift to John Stewart), so maybe I read Gorgias through that lens, but it seems like his claim to be able to speak ornamentally, even persuasively, on any subject familiar or unfamiliar isn’t as egotistical as it is accusing. Gorgias saying, “Hey, look what I can do,” translates into, “Be careful, look what others could be doing too.”

Aside from rhetoric, we can learn a thing or two about living long and well from Gorgias. The MKH book suggests he lived to be 105 because he avoided excess (except in speech). However, I like to think we could attribute his longevity to the fact that he was enjoying life, getting a big kick out of ruffling feathers and making waves. That, or—since, as an itinerant, he didn’t pay taxes—he simply didn’t accept that the whole death and taxes thing applied to him until one day… it did. I have to think the guy was just having a damn lot of fun playing with words and poking his finger in the eye of conformity.

Also, share at least one useful link about Classical Rhetoric and why it's useful.

I initially thought I would offer rhetoric.byu.edu or The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy for my site because they are the two I depend on most for getting a quick primer on vocab/concepts/philosophers, but I noticed they’re both already on Dr. Rice’s list, so I had to go a-hunting. Sadly, I didn’t find any sites that I would recommend above BYU’s or Standford’s that weren’t also on Dr. Rice’s list, so the site I’ll submit is YouTube. Lame, I know! But, hear me out. Lately, I’ve been watching everything from short animated clips to long university lectures on rhetoric while I’m on the treadmill or stationary bike at the gym. Jon Hoffman’s lectures are particularly good, but even student PowerPoints sometimes surprise me. While the content on YouTube doesn’t meet the academic standard to which most of us are accustomed, it does put the material in an easy-to-gnaw-on vocabulary (and, as an extra bonus, we get to actually hear some of the words and names that are tricky to pronounce). Getting information in multiple formats and styles reinforces the concepts and promotes memory.

Course Introduction & Discussion Preference

I have reviewed the introductory material for this class and have no questions about the syllabus or schedule for this class yet, though I'm sure they'll pile on as the semester progresses.

My preference for leading the discussion is "Apasia and Opportunities for Women." I teach Saphho's poetry in my World Lit course and think it would be interesting to discover more about gender politics and social attitudes during that time. Women's voices were often slighted and lost, but they weren't absent.