Plato wants the readers of his dialogues Gorgias and The Apology to think about the relationship between politics, rhetoric, and ethics. The primary goal of Gorgias seems to be to disconnection the ideas of doing good and experiencing pleasure. Gorgias and his companions seem to think that experiencing pleasure is the essence of moral goodness. Socrates rejects this connection, arguing that moral goodness can often be connected directly with the experience of displeasure. How does this discussion relate to politics? What is the role of pleasure and moral goodness in politics? How does this discussion relate to Socrates’ conclusion that you can’t pursue moral goodness as a politician? Use the text to defend your arguments.
