gorgias   

surprised if Gorgias can show more good of his art than I can show

of mine." To him again I shall say, Who are you, honest friend, and

what is your business? "I am a trainer," he will reply, "and my

business is to make men beautiful and strong in body." When I have

done with the trainer, there arrives the money-maker, and he, as I

expect, utterly despise them all. "Consider Socrates," he will say,

"whether Gorgias or any one-else can produce any greater good than

wealth." Well, you and I say to him, and are you a creator of

wealth? "Yes," he replies. And who are you? "A money-maker." And do

you consider wealth to be the greatest good of man? "Of course,"

will be his reply. And we shall rejoin: Yes; but our friend Gorgias

contends that his art produces a greater good than yours. And then

he will be sure to go on and ask, "What good? Let Gorgias answer." Now

I want you, Gorgias, to imagine that this question is asked of you

by them and by me; What is that which, as you say, is the greatest

good of man, and of which you are the creator? Answer us.

Gor. That good, Socrates, which is truly the greatest, being that

which gives to men freedom in their own persons, and to individuals

the power of ruling over others in their several states.

Soc. And what would you consider this to be?

Gor. What is there greater than the word which persuades the

judges in the courts, or the senators in the council, or the

citizens in the assembly, or at any other political meeting?-if you

have the power of uttering this word, you will have the physician your

slave, and the trainer your slave, and the money-maker of whom you

talk will be found to gather treasures, not for himself, but for you

who are able to speak and to persuade the multitude.

Soc. Now I think, Gorgias, that you have very accurately explained

what you conceive to be the art of rhetoric; and you mean to say, if I

am not mistaken, that rhetoric is the artificer of persuasion,

having this and no other business, and that this is her crown and end.

Do you know any other effect of rhetoric over and above that of