Socrates Pros And Cons

“There have been a few times this past week when all I wanted to do was just to curl up with a good book or our dogs and never leave the house again.” In her first speech since losing the 2016 Presidential Election, Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton perfectly summarized the feelings of millions of Democrats, who, after volunteering countless hours for Hillary Clinton and other Democrats, were left in complete despair when they saw the results of the 2016 Election: Republicans controlled both Houses of Congress, nearly two thirds of State Legislatures and Governors, and a man who they felt to be hateful, abusive, and grossly unqualified was elected President of the United States. Following these electoral failures and the feelings of despair …show more content…
In Dr. Devin Stauffer’s book The Utility of Plato’s Gorgias, Stauffer examines Callicles’ defense of previous Athenian leaders criticized by Socrates, like Pericles. Callicles argument is that these leaders “should be regarded as noble rhetoricians, unlike those of the current generation,” as these ancient leaders like Pericles built Athens into an ancient superpower and acted nobly, in the view of Callicles. Callicles’ view of holding previous leaders in high esteem compared to modern ones is quite comparable to the view of many present-day Americans; Stauffer goes on to say that “Callicles’ protest here sounds almost as if could come from a patriotic young American looking back with reverence to the time of Washington, Jefferson, and Adams.” Democrats can take advantage of similar sentiments by adopting similar rhetorical styles to these cherished past