Gorgias of Leontines (485 – 380 BC) was a renowned sophist philosopher of Ancient Greece. He was a student of another prominent thinker, Empedocles, from whom he gathered much knowledge and developed his theories.
Gorgias lived for more than 105 years and wandered through the cities as a teacher of young aristocrats Plato himself wrote a work on the thought of Gorgias de Leontinos, entitled Gorgias or On Rhetoric, in which he defines the oratorical art of Gorgias as weak and submissive to the counterarguments of Socrates.
His fundamental position in philosophy is that “nothing exists”, that is, he arrived at a series of logical reasoning that led him to a radical skepticism about existence itself.
His work includes several treatises on rhetoric and manuals on philosophy that were widely acclaimed in their time. In today’s article We are going to pay tribute to this Greek philosopher by remembering the best phrases of Gorgias
1. The power of the word in relation to matters of the soul is in the same relationship as the power of medicines in relation to matters of the body.
Parallelism that highlights the benefits of oral reflection to calm the doubts of our mind.
2. Victories over enemies deserve hymns, those over brothers and friends dirges.
We should not compete against those who appreciate us.
3. The being is dark without appearance; appearance is inconsistent without being.
Gorgias’ reflection of an essentialist nature.
4. My life is a garland to which we are going to adjust the last rose (death).
Sad phrase about the last breath of each individual.
5. An opponent’s seriousness must be disarmed with laughter and laughter with seriousness.
Offering the reversal of enemy behavior is the solution.
6. Not the beauty, but the good reputation of a woman should be known to many.
What is admirable about a woman is not her genetics, but her decisions and ethical value.
7. Thought is that thing that with a small body knows how to achieve divine things.
Cognition, arising from a brain weighing just a few kilos, is capable of building buildings and cathedrals.
8. Speakers are similar to frogs: they croak in water; them on the court stand.
9. And if the persuasive speech deceived his soul, it is not therefore difficult to defend it and absolve it of its responsibility, thus: speech is a great power, which through the smallest and most secret body performs the most divine works; for it can stop fear and mitigate pain and produce joy and make mercy abound.
Great reflection that synthesizes both the background of his philosophical beliefs and the astuteness and skill of his writing.
10. Nothing is; If anything were, it could not be understood; and if it could be understood, it could not be communicated to others.
In this sentence, Gorgias summarizes his position on the non-existence of matter.
11. The man who makes a mistake shows more justice than the one who doesn’t.
Erring can be a way of being human.
12. Men who neglect philosophy while occupied with banal matters are like the Suitors (in The Odyssey), who desired Penelope but slept with her maids.
According to this phrase from Gorgias, the upright man is one who respects his aspirations.
13. I answer you, Socrates, that the art of rhetoric is the ability to persuade in courts of law and in other assemblies, and about what is just and what is unjust.
Argumentation with a luxury companion: the philosopher Socrates.
