Back to Index
Rhetoric and writing in The Phaedrus
I wish now to discuss the two major issues of the second part of The Phaedrus.These issues are rhetoric and writing.
Plato opposes his theory of a true rhetoric to the false practice of persuasion enacted by the sophists. The art of persuasion has little to do with truth, and is wholly concerned with the influence of opinion toward the point of view of the persuader.
Socrates argues for a new art of rhetoric, which uses truth, or knowledge of the forms, as the basis for inquiry. As is demonstrated by Socrates� own discourse on love, the terms must first be defined. Ambiguous concepts (such as love and madness) must first be spelt out for public agreement. This is the first step in the art of true rhetoric.
Secondly, the phenomena of the discussion must be classified. This can be done by either collecting or separating the observations and experience of the phenomena by means of genus or species.
What underlines Plato�s belief in the art of true rhetoric is the knowledge of truth. This is obtained only through philosophy. Sophists and politicians can persuade for their own ends, but do not obtain any insight into the truth of their subject.
Writing is castigated in The Phaedrus. It is opposed to the self-presence of speech. Earlier we are told that the soul only regains its wings if two people are together. Writing is the representation of the others� absence. A number of criticisms are made about writing:
� Anybody, not just the wise man, can write.
� Anybody can read and take it as the word of the wise man
� Writing dulls people�s memory
� Writing is the conceit of wisdom, not wisdom itself
Writing cannot be questioned, like the self present speaker. It is interesting to consider how the text represents this criticism. Lysias� speech was written down, whereas Socrates� speech is performed. The explicit criticism of Lysias� style and argument are also implicit criticisms of writing.
What I find interesting is the points at which Socrates� dialectic rhetoric breaks down. This is best exemplified by the use of myth. Myths are used at three points in the text: the analogy of love, the cicadas (the introduction to rhetoric), and the myth of Thamus (the introduction to writing).
What is important to note is Socrates initial disregard of myth. Phaedrus has met with indifference on his retelling the Oreithyia myth. Socrates comments:
"Now I have no time for such work, and the reason is, my friend, that I�ve not yet
succeeded in obeying the Delphic injunction to �know myself�, and it seems to me
absurd to consider problems about other beings while I am still in ignorance about
my own nature"
What is overlooked is the importance of myth in the dialectic. Myth is undoubtedly in opposition to the scientific reasoning that Plato advocates. But without myth, the argument is incomplete. This is supported by Socrates� constant allusion to the limits of what is articulable, for example the allegory of the charioteer and his horses is in place of a diatribe on the nature of the soul because:
"To describe it as it is would require a long exposition of which only a God is capable"
It appears, whilst proposing a scientific art for speech, Plato is all too aware of the limits of communication.
analysis of phaedrus
quote bank.phaedrus