Chapter II (458-469) Summary and Analysis

The rhetorician has the ability to talk on any subject, and Socrates indicates that when personal emotions interfere with judgment there is lack of consistency. He has no intention to discredit Gorgias when doubting his arguments. As he is happy if others to correct him, he may improve.

Chaerephon, Callicles, and Socrates encourage Gorgias to continue his responses even if they are agreeable with the arguments. Socrates is concerned with the ethics of rhetoric that can be superior to other sciences due to its ability to persuade. As through rhetoric one may appear more knowledgeable than others, it can become a dangerous tool. Learning rhetoric involves learning about justice as well as acquiring knowledge. Such knowledge also determines the type of person one becomes. A rhetorician necessarily needs to act justly when learning about justice.

Socrates denies...