Spcm 201 1st Edition Lecture 3 Current Lecture Aspasia (5th century B.C.E.) Little is known Some don’t think she existed “The invisible woman” Trained in rhetoric—like Gorgias- Used to gain power Difficult to be a woman in Athens Aspasia wasn’t from Athens - Northern city state I Macedonia Gave her ability to be taught Moved when she was an adult and won over men with her quick mind and sharp tongue Written in books as prostitutes because people did not believe women could be smart Became logographer (speech writer) for Athens most powerful man—Pericles What does Aspasia look like? We only have small bits of her thought Different from Gorgias Logographer Socrates learned from her Do we consider her a Sophist Somewhat Focused on truth Have people in her home to speak because she cannot speak in public/travelIsocrates Isocrates 436-338 B.C.E. A “later” Sophist Questioned what philosophy was Taught students rhetoric for a fee Rebuilt family with this money after a war Did not travel, but opened the first school for rhetoric in the Athens Different levels of rhetoric Was not a show off- Very serious Against The Sophists Isocrates created ads for his school Directed against The Sophists of its time who had gotten lazy Potential students—considering competing schools They over promise what they can deliver They “pretend to wisdom” even the gods do not to claim They make the grand value of education feel cheap They distrust their own student What they teach is merely “stuff and nonsense” Worried Sophists are talking “out their asses” They make claims, but aren’t necessarily true Talk about future but not the present Sophists were cheapening school They did not trust students Pay first, before class Isocrates is annoyed with speakers who aren’t relating topics properly A good speech is aware of the world “Fitness of the occasion” Relate well to the time period Isocrates opinion on a good speaker Well endowed naturally- Taking natural ability and make it stronger with practical experience Practical experience - Older, more involved with life Take in people that are serious about learning Corax and Tisias Isocrates isn’t a fan - Don’t believe in truth Antidosis Speech of self-defense An “imaginary” exercise Prompted by trial of Socrates Reflects the fear of the “outsider” in Greece at the time Anitdosis (continued) Isocrates isn’t defending himself from anyone who does not believe in what he is doing He says humans and animals have a lot in common What separates Stronger, faster, then us Humans speak to one another through language—ideas, persuasion Humans build He says “there is no institution desired by man which the power of speech has not helped us to establish” Wisdom matters Some people think philosophy is better (critics) Wisdom, knowledge, speech Connected by practical experience “Gymnastics of the mind” Thinking—but not doing anything with it Don’t want to teach them mental “gymnastics, we must teach them to be successful, prepare them Believes that someone is put through all of the lessons will be successful Education makes us better as a group Speaking is for your own good Not a selfish act Making sure you are heard Blames the Sophists for taking away the youth Drinking/partying Believes if society doesn’t take education seriously then civilization will not
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