One of the most relevant features of philosophy as a subject is it isn’t really a subject in itself. Indeed, philosophy is a school of thought that delves into, and thus tends to be comprised of, the ideological depths of various subjects such as sociology, ethics, politics, theology and religion. This, moreover, is something that is made infinitely more apparent when considering it in light of the ideological preconceptions of various philosophers that have come to be globally renowned throughout the course of history. Take into consideration, for instance, the name of Socrates, widely credited as being the father of philosophy. This credit, moreover, is something that emphasized when considering it in light of the fact that although Socrates himself left behind no philosophical writings; such relevant philosophers as Plato, Euclides, Simmias, and Xenophon, wrote Socratic dialogues portraying his teaching in literary form… they were his students. Socrates contemplated and spoke his thoughts upon practically all aspects of human life in terms of the intertwining socio-cultural and ideological norms and preconceptions that individuals tend to inevitably exist within.

Addressing Socrates philosophical stance: Socratic view of oratory Among all of the topics that he addressed within his contemplations, moreover, some of the more renowned were love, the state and its relationship the individual, the gods, theology and public administration. It would, moreover, be relevant to acknowledge that his stance on public administration was one that was strongly influenced by his ideological disinclination towards politics. And the relevance of this is something that is accentuated quiet strongly when considering it light of the typically converse, Socratic perception in concern to the politicians.

Socrates held that in order to be a good politician, it is essential for the respective individual to not only know how to rule, but to also wield sufficient knowledge necessary to effectually implement all skills based on public administration. According to Socrates, a good politician is only one who is capable of using every skill, especially including the skill of oratory in conjunction with the goal to lead the people to virtue and moderation. This subsequently brings us to Socrates stance on oratory. Before considering this, however, it will be crucial to acknowledge that oratory, or speaking in public with an ulterior motive, is primarily comprised of rhetoric, which is the art of convincingly using words with a conviction so as to obtain a particularly desired set of results.

The argument of Socrates on oratory as a branch of pandering: the good Thus speaking, we will now turn to the Socratic stance on oratory. One of the most significant features of this is that he, Socrates, ascribes exceptional relevance to the notion that oratory is a branch of pandering, or, a kind of flattery which he compares to personal beautification such as reflected by cosmetics and fashion. The relevance of this, moreover, resides in the fact that Socrates’ ideology is based upon the philosophical theorization that although personal beautification appeals to the body, this is not what is actually good for the body. While indulgence in cosmetics and fashion for the sake of modifying individual appearance tends to appeal to the mind within the typical individual; the true key to the attaining the body's health are gymnastics or exercise. This, moreover, is justified in as much as the fact that health, rather than appearance, is what is actually good for the body.

Consequently, according to Socrates, this renders political oratory as something that relates to pandering in the same manner that personal beatification relates to exercise. This tends to be clarified when considering that Socrates reason for not getting involved in politics was that he perceived rhetoric, one of the most crucial oratorical skills, as yielding the same converse relationship to justice as fashion yields to health. In addition to this, furthermore, he also believed that politics must be used exclusively for the good of the people and the state, as has already been mentioned. The most relevant factor here, however, is that he holds that doing what seems good without actually knowing, is evil (Beck, 1998).

Conclusion (s): Socratic stance on oratory in light of the pleasurable & the good The symbolic relevance of this is unveiled when considering that there is no way in which orators can specifically know if the convictions that they are inducing the masses to accept are going to have the [typically beneficial] results that they promise. In fact, the prime reason that they would appear to be making these convictions, as per the Socratic viewpoint, is that they believe these convictions will have certain, immediately pleasurable results. The negativity of this, in turn, is represented in as much as the fact that the pleasurable and the good are not the same thing. Power based on ability to produce convictions which are beliefs rather than knowledge cannot be a good thing as this will undoubtedly have actual results that stray from the convictions. He goes on to elaborate that politicians who find themselves in a position that demands oratorical interaction with the state tend to inevitably be subject to inclinations of unfairly using their power. This is something that is indicated to be due to the fact that politicians are typically represented as ‘tyrants with money and supporters and powerful rhetoric, who can avoid being punished for their crimes’ (Beck, 1998). Socrates also justified this in as much as philosophizing that just as the body tends to involuntarily desire those indulgences that are not truly good for it, but rather, only pleasurable; so oratory induces politicians to make convictions that are naught more than a branch of pandering. The reason for this, moreover, is that pandering tends to be infinitely more convenient and pleasurable than addressing the actual political flaws within a particular state. It would be conclusively apt to consider that, speaking in the light of all that has been said and discussed, that Socrates stance regarding oratory is one that is justifiable in within the context of contemporaneous political and oratorical factors too.

Keywords : Oratory and Philosophy, Philosophy, Term Paper

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