Phaedrus and Rhetoric
Foundations of Communication
The foundational and fundamental theories behind communication were erected from Plato’s composition of the Phaedrus. The main characters, Socrates and Phaedrus, whose arguments are both portrayed by Plato, discuss what they believe to be necessary for the responsible practice of rhetoric and writing. Since the beliefs that Socrates shares about rhetoric are not universally known, there are many people in contemporary culture who, according to Socrates’ beliefs, practice rhetoric in an inappropriate way. In today’s society, Plato’s portrayal of Socrates would disapprove with the inappropriate practices of rhetoric amongst contemporary culture, while John Peters’ first chapter from his book Speaking Into The Air shows us that writing and other dissemination-oriented media forms of communication may be acceptable despite the views of Socrates.
The Phaedrus introduced a debate between two philosophers, Socrates and Phaedrus. They argue over a speech from a third philosopher, Lysias, regarding love. Three speeches were delivered in a dialogue pertaining to the idea that love is supported by the soul, madness, divine inspiration, and the importance of mastering the art one practices. The first part of the Phaedrus was filled with debate over the speech of Lysias and the discussion of love. However, in the second part of Plato’s work, “Discussions of Rhetoric and Writing”, Eros (love) was not discussed. Instead, they use the speeches from part one as a catalyst to discuss the true nature of communication. They discuss the knowledge an orator should have to execute a concise argument, the proper way to compose a speech, and writing. Socrates said that, “every speech must be put together like a living creature, with a body of its own; it must be neither without head nor without legs; and it must have a middle and extremities that are fitting both to one another and to the whole work” (Plato, 264C). Socrates believed that a speech was
The foundational and fundamental theories behind communication were erected from Plato’s composition of the Phaedrus. The main characters, Socrates and Phaedrus, whose arguments are both portrayed by Plato, discuss what they believe to be necessary for the responsible practice of rhetoric and writing. Since the beliefs that Socrates shares about rhetoric are not universally known, there are many people in contemporary culture who, according to Socrates’ beliefs, practice rhetoric in an inappropriate way. In today’s society, Plato’s portrayal of Socrates would disapprove with the inappropriate practices of rhetoric amongst contemporary culture, while John Peters’ first chapter from his book Speaking Into The Air shows us that writing and other dissemination-oriented media forms of communication may be acceptable despite the views of Socrates.
The Phaedrus introduced a debate between two philosophers, Socrates and Phaedrus. They argue over a speech from a third philosopher, Lysias, regarding love. Three speeches were delivered in a dialogue pertaining to the idea that love is supported by the soul, madness, divine inspiration, and the importance of mastering the art one practices. The first part of the Phaedrus was filled with debate over the speech of Lysias and the discussion of love. However, in the second part of Plato’s work, “Discussions of Rhetoric and Writing”, Eros (love) was not discussed. Instead, they use the speeches from part one as a catalyst to discuss the true nature of communication. They discuss the knowledge an orator should have to execute a concise argument, the proper way to compose a speech, and writing. Socrates said that, “every speech must be put together like a living creature, with a body of its own; it must be neither without head nor without legs; and it must have a middle and extremities that are fitting both to one another and to the whole work” (Plato, 264C). Socrates believed that a speech was
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