Dialogue

 1  Gorg|     antithesis of knowledge and opinion, being and appearance, are
 2  Gorg|  morality, or regard for public opinion, enables Socrates to detect
 3  Gorg|        the great tide of public opinion. Socrates approaches his
 4  Gorg|    punished, but he is still of opinion that evil-doers, if they
 5  Gorg|         he escapes. Polus is of opinion that such a paradox as this
 6  Gorg|       he is certain that in the opinion of any man to do is worse
 7  Gorg|      and he is certain that any opinion in which they both agree
 8  Gorg|      the many better? And their opinion is that justice is equality,
 9  Gorg|      superior or stronger, this opinion of theirs must be in accordance
10  Gorg|   desisted. Are you of the same opinion still? ‘Yes, Socrates, and
11  Gorg|     calculation of pleasure, an opinion which he afterwards repudiates
12  Gorg|     without reference to public opinion or to consequences. And
13  Gorg|   standard of utility or public opinion, but merely to point out
14  Gorg|       other influence of public opinion, have been willing to sacrifice
15  Gorg|  knowledge and sense, truth and opinion, essence and generation,
16  Gorg|        alike dependent upon the opinion of mankind, from which they
17  Gorg|        and antagonism to public opinion, the Gorgias most nearly
18  Gorg|       which rhetoric and public opinion have hitherto provided for
19  Gorg|      history of thought and the opinion of his time.~It has been
20  Gorg|     virtue, and to most men the opinion of their fellows is a leading
21  Gorg|       untruthfulness of popular opinion, and tells mankind that
22  Gorg|     cannot easily change public opinion; but he can be true and
23  Gorg| supported and watched by public opinion. And on some fitting occasion,
24  Gorg|         well as a worse) public opinion of which he seeks to lay
25  Gorg|        is true, but what is the opinion of the world—not what is
26  Gorg|        he must enlighten public opinion; he must accustom his followers
27  Gorg|        so great as an erroneous opinion about the matters of which
28  Gorg|        not an art at all, in my opinion.~POLUS: Then what, in your
29  Gorg|       POLUS: Then what, in your opinion, is rhetoric?~SOCRATES:
30  Gorg|        mind me.~SOCRATES: In my opinion then, Gorgias, the whole
31  Gorg|       whether you are giving an opinion of your own, or asking a
32  Gorg|        I assume this to be your opinion?~POLUS: Certainly.~SOCRATES:
33  Gorg|        Yes.~SOCRATES: But in my opinion, Polus, the unjust or doer
34  Gorg|      did.~SOCRATES: In your own opinion, Polus.~POLUS: Yes, and
35  Gorg|         the two, Polus, in your opinion, is the worst?—to do injustice
36  Gorg|       reflect, and tell me your opinion.~POLUS: Yes, Socrates, I
37  Gorg|        favourite in any word or opinion of his; but as he changes
38  Gorg|    assembly, you go over to his opinion; and you do the same with
39  Gorg|         And are not the many of opinion, as you were lately saying,
40  Gorg|  authority.~CALLICLES: Yes; the opinion of the many is what you
41  Gorg|       custom and reason and the opinion of other men to be lords
42  Gorg|      are you coming over to the opinion that the orderly are happier
43  Gorg|        you continue of the same opinion still?~CALLICLES: The latter,
44  Gorg|        is contrary to your real opinion.~CALLICLES: Why, that is
45  Gorg|          Socrates, is only your opinion.~SOCRATES: And do you, Callicles,
46  Gorg|       and contrary to your real opinion—for you will observe that
47  Gorg|        Polus that cookery in my opinion is only an experience, and
48  Gorg|      whether good or bad. In my opinion, Callicles, there are such
49  Gorg|         it.~SOCRATES: For in my opinion there is no profit in a