Gorgias (Penguin Classics) - Plato

“Gorgias” is one of Plato’s most intellectually provocative dialogues, where Socrates confronts the moral dangers of persuasive speech and the ethical void at the heart of political power. The dialogue features a dramatic clash between Socrates and the famous rhetorician Gorgias, along with his pupils Polus and Callicles, as they debate:

• What is rhetoric?
• Is it a true art or mere flattery?
• Is it better to suffer injustice than to commit it?
• Through intense philosophical interrogation, Plato presents a compelling case for virtue, truth, and the examined life—in stark contrast to the manipulative persuasion of sophistry.

Main Themes of the Book

• Rhetoric vs. philosophy: persuasion vs. truth
• Power and responsibility in public life
• The nature of justice and the good life
• The role of suffering, morality, and self-mastery
• The moral consequences of unchecked ambition

Reasons to Read this book from ''Penguin Classics'' series

• A cornerstone of ethics and political philosophy
• Challenges modern views on media, leadership, and persuasion
• Perfect for students of rhetoric, logic, and classical studies
• Features Socrates at his most relentless and persuasive
• A gripping dialogue with contemporary political relevance

Plato’s “Gorgias” remains strikingly relevant today, as it explores the foundations of democratic discourse, the limits of rhetoric, and the moral cost of power. In an age of spin and spectacle, this classic is a call to pursue not what is most persuasive, but what is most just.