To Tell Or To Lie :: essays research papers

To Tell or to LieMaral FrendjianFor redbrick students, a training in empty talk such as that offered byGorgias is more preferable, rather than learning how to distinguish truth fromfalsehood. It is the art of exclamatory language, emphasizing figures of speechand focusing on devices for swaying and persuading an audience, that would be to the highest degree honorable for students lives today. Despite the fact that it is simplyornamented language to make a goodly facade, the rhetoric by Gorgias is necessaryfor the success of students, especially those who would like to " denounce" theirideas, products or beliefs to the multitude (the larger population).     In the world we live in, at that place are small-army ways of getting the things thatwe want. The way most people would like to believe that their accomplishmentswere achieved is through hard work and sweat. However, that is non how itworks, because most people around the world lie to get thing s to go their way.A perfect example of a group of people that use the rhetoric are politicians.Politicians forget say and do anything to incite the citizens that they areright, and that they will do all they promise to do, if you vote for him or her.They try to convince us all the time, and often succeed, that they will makechanges. Just deliberate about the many times weve heard, "If you vote for me, Iwill raze the taxes."     Gorgias makes a very clear point regarding the indicant of the rhetoric.The following advert from Gorgias expresses the impact that rhetoric can have onthose listening.I intend the efficiency to convince by means of speecha venire in a court of justice, members of the Councilin their Chamber, voters at a face-off of the Assembly,and any other gathering of citizens whatever it may be.By the come of this ability you will have the doctorand the trainer as your slaves, and your man of businesswill turn out to be making silv er not for himself but foranother for you, in fact, who have the ability to treatand to convince the masses. (Gorgias, p.28 sec. 453)What Gorgias is saying in the preceding quote is about the horrificpower of persuasion. He is saying that if you have the ability to convince, youhave the power to sway anyone listening by your ideas. He demonstrates thediverse situations in which the "ability to convince" can help the persuader, bygiving him the power so that the control will be in his or her hands.Convincing is not only a form of speech, it is a form of twisting the truth,