to persuade. Gorgias thought that oratory had the ability to persuade the jurors in the court, the members of the council, and the citizens attending the assembly - in short, to win over any and every form of public meeting of the citizen body. Because of this feeling Gorgias would feel better having the unethical lawyer handling his case because he believed in the full power of oratory. Gorgias had more of his trust built in the power of persuasion that he would have in the actual truth.Socrates, in the other hand, no matter what the price would have been, would have invested his full trust in what was right instead of what was unethical. Socrates believed that no matter what the price was, total honesty and truth was the only choice in order for one to live a happy, fulfilling life. No matter what, a person still is to be judged when they leave this earth. How can one have a healthy soul after committing such dishonesty? Socrates believed that the administration of justice is poor at the moment and that people are being assessed with their clothes on, and plenty of people with corrupt souls are dressed in attractive bodies, noble birth, and wealth. That way, Socrates believed, that when a person was judged, people come forward to testify to the good things they have done to impress the judge. In order to honestly assess someones soul, they would have to die and be totally stripped of their barriers. Oratory constitutes a barrier in which Socrates disagreed with. By using oratory in the courtroom, you are committing dishonesty which is no less a sin than what you might be standing trial for. To Socrates, one must use total honesty at all times because a person has to trust in that good in him through his roughest moments, not a work of lies that one has made up to excuse him from his circumstances.Both Gorgias and Socrates make excellent arguments in why the power of oratory should or should not be used. Gorgias finds t...
