Dialogue

 1  Gorg|       In the first division the question is asked—What is rhetoric?
 2  Gorg|         manner of approaching a question; he is quite ‘one of Socrates’
 3  Gorg|     heard the other side of the question, and he listens to the paradoxes,
 4  Gorg|        Polus.~SOCRATES: Put the question to him, Chaerephon.~CHAEREPHON:
 5  Gorg|    Chaerephon.~CHAEREPHON: What question?~SOCRATES: Who is he?—such
 6  Gorg|     SOCRATES: Who is he?—such a question as would elicit from a man
 7  Gorg|         but not how to answer a question. He wishes that Gorgias
 8  Gorg|      enough, and replies to the question asked by Chaerephon,—that
 9  Gorg|    there is therefore a further question: which of the two sorts
10  Gorg|         Will you ask me another question—What is cookery? ‘What is
11  Gorg|         There remains the other question: Is a guilty man better
12  Gorg|        proceeds to ask the same question of Socrates himself. For
13  Gorg|        And we must ask the same question about Pericles, and Cimon,
14  Gorg|        must be included. If the question could have been put to him,
15  Gorg|        this mode of stating the question is really opposed both to
16  Gorg|       fitting occasion, on some question of humanity or truth or
17  Gorg|         Republic he raises this question, but it is not really discussed;
18  Gorg|       into a future. We ask the question, Where were men before birth?
19  Gorg|     them after death? The first question is unfamiliar to us, and
20  Gorg|      probably the inventor.~The question is then asked, under which
21  Gorg|       answer depends on another question: What use did the children
22  Gorg|       in my house might put any question to him, and that he would
23  Gorg|         SOCRATES: I mean such a question as would elicit from him,
24  Gorg|     POLUS: Ask:—~CHAEREPHON: My question is this: If Gorgias had
25  Gorg|        not exactly answered the question which he was asked.~GORGIAS:
26  Gorg|       that was no answer to the question: nobody asked what was the
27  Gorg|        to you, and ask the same question,—what are we to call you,
28  Gorg|   better; please to answer me a question:—you would allow that there
29  Gorg|   Gorgias, to imagine that this question is asked of you by them
30  Gorg|    right in asking this further question: If I asked, ‘What sort
31  Gorg|   reason for asking this second question would be, that there are
32  Gorg|      the case of the painter, a question has arisen which is a very
33  Gorg|         fair way of putting the question?~GORGIAS: I think so.~SOCRATES:
34  Gorg|        Then, if you approve the question, Gorgias, what is the answer?~
35  Gorg|     repeating a seemingly plain question; for I ask not in order
36  Gorg|       Then let me raise another question; there is such a thing as ‘
37  Gorg|     they would be too modest to question you. And therefore when
38  Gorg|        from any interest in the question at issue. And sometimes
39  Gorg|        begin. and ask of me any question which you like.~SOCRATES:
40  Gorg|   inferior on this account is a question which we will hereafter
41  Gorg|  advantage in going on with the question, but if not, I would leave
42  Gorg|   answer me, Socrates, the same question which Gorgias, as you suppose,
43  Gorg|      proceeded to ask a further question: Whether I do not think
44  Gorg| flatterers?~SOCRATES: Is that a question or the beginning of a speech?~
45  Gorg|    speech?~POLUS: I am asking a question.~SOCRATES: Then my answer
46  Gorg|        of your own, or asking a question of me.~POLUS: I am asking
47  Gorg|        me.~POLUS: I am asking a question of you.~SOCRATES: Yes, my
48  Gorg|      answer as well as ask that question.~SOCRATES: Well, Polus,
49  Gorg|          SOCRATES: Let me ask a question of you: When you speak of
50  Gorg|      let us proceed to the next question; which is, Whether the greatest
51  Gorg|        arguing conventionally a question which is to be determined
52  Gorg|      that is why I repeated the question,—What is the superior? I
53  Gorg|         man. And now, answer my question.~CALLICLES: I answer, that
54  Gorg|        head? Shall I pursue the question? And here, Callicles, I
55  Gorg|         proceed, determine this question for me:—There is something,
56  Gorg|      has any sense at all, what question can be more serious than