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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When does Socrates regard pain as useful?

2. What is Polus meant to be an example of?

3. What is Socrates' opinion of what causes inconsistency in speech?

4. What comments of Polus' does Socrates discredit?

5. How does rhetoric benefit politicians in Gorgias' musings on politics?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Polus embody the negative sides of freedom as Socrates has discussed?

2. What makes Socrates see punishment (a negative action) as a positive one?

3. How does the philosophers' conversation of rhetoric incite discussions of broader subjects such as morality?

4. How does Gorgias see rhetoric as a means for great power?

5. How does Gorgias see rhetoric as a bridge between art and science?

6. What are the similarities and differences between learning and acquiring a belief?

7. How have we seen rhetoric successfully executed in the conversation in Chapter 1?

8. Why does Socrates question Gorgias about rhetoric?

9. How does Gorgias see rhetoric aiding to the common good of humans?

10. Why does Socrates believe only those without knowledge can be persuaded by rhetoric?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the conversational design of the book and what it draws from the characters and complements the subject matter.

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Socrates' method of the correction of injustice and its plausibility or implausibility.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the nature of good and bad as discussed by the philosophers in Gorgias.

(see the answer keys)

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