To Tell Or To Lie

To Tell or to Lie

Maral Frendjian

For modern students, a training in rhetoric such as that offered by

Gorgias is more preferable, rather than learning how to distinguish truth from falsehood. It is the art of forceful language, emphasizing figures of speech and focusing on devices for swaying and persuading an audience, that would be most beneficial for students lives today. Despite the fact that it is simply ornamented language to make a good facade, the rhetoric by Gorgias is necessary for the success of students, especially those who would like to "sell" their ideas, products or beliefs to the people (the larger population).

In the world we live in, there are many ways of getting the things that we want. The way most people would like to believe that their accomplishments were achieved is through hard work and sweat. However, that is not how it works, because most people around the world lie to get things to go their way.

A perfect example of a group of people that use the rhetoric are politicians.

Politicians will say and do anything to convince the citizens that they are right, 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 make changes. Just think about the many times we've heard, "If you vote for me, I will lower the taxes."

Gorgias makes a very clear point regarding the power of the rhetoric.

The following quote from Gorgias expresses the impact that rhetoric can have on those listening.

I mean the ability to convince by means of speech a jury in a court of justice, members of the Council in their Chamber, voters at a meeting of the Assembly, and any other gathering of citizens whatever it may be.

By the exercise of this ability you will have the doctor and the trainer as your slaves, and your man of business will turn out to be making money not for himself but for another; for you, in fact, who have the ability to speak and to convince the masses. (Gorgias, p.28 sec. 453)

What Gorgias is saying in the preceding quote is about the amazing power of persuasion. He is saying that if you have the ability to convince, you have the power to sway anyone listening by your ideas. He demonstrates the diverse situations in which the "ability to convince" can help the persuader, by giving 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,