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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What challenge is Gorgias being faced with?

2. Gorgias describes bad rhetoric as delivering a response in what way?

3. What does Socrates believe makes punishment beneficial?

4. In Socrates' opinion, why are just actions better than unjust?

5. Gorgias believes that without mastering rhetoric, what is the occurrence of rhetoric left to?

Short Essay Questions

1. What makes Socrates see punishment (a negative action) as a positive one?

2. How can pain or pleasure be useful, in Socrates' opinion?

3. How does Gorgias see rhetoric aiding to the common good of humans?

4. In Socrates' opinion, why is distinction crucial to individuals and professions?

5. How is it that one can suffer justly or unjustly? What makes the difference in Socrates' opinion?

6. What are the similarities and differences between learning and acquiring a belief?

7. Is Polus' claim that even unjust people like Archelaus are happy correct or incorrect? Why?

8. In Socrates' opinion, what is the effect of someone with great power who has little common sense?

9. In terms of ethics, why does Socrates consider rhetoric a dangerous tool?

10. Why can the art of rhetoric not impart knowledge, according to Gorgias?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Socrates' method of the correction of injustice and its plausibility or implausibility.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss philosophy in "Gorgias," including how it is used, what it aids, and how it defines the conversation.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the nature of humanity based on their abilities to persuade and be persuaded as addressed by Gorgias.

(see the answer keys)

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