Final Exam Essays: Kotahi Tarawhiti

Short Essay: Religion and Rhetoric

It has always been difficult to combine rhetoric with religion. The art of persuasion can be used for bad and good, depending on the intentions. Discovering when rhetoric is appropriate in religion, and vice versa, is very important to understand, especially for those who are religious.

St. Augustine, for example, wasn’t one that was easily impressed by the bible at first taste. He was an intelligent man, and his intelligence was apart of why he first rejected Christianity. The un-eloquent style of scripture seemed too dull for him to really grasp the true beauty behind the message. Later down the road, St. Augustine converted to Christianity when he realized that Plato’s teachings, alongside a lot of his own ideals for moral living, crossed with Christianity. He soon discovered that intellect, rhetoric and knowledge can be complimented by Christianity rather than be an opposing force to it.

In our day, rhetoric can be tricky to master within religion, specifically the skill of knowing when and how to say something. We believe it is important as faithful LDS members to make our beliefs known, so when certain conflicts arise we have a duty to defend our faith. A certain church policy pertaining to married gay couples was brought forth over the past few months, and caused a big division among LDS members. Online and social media outlets became the firing tool for opinions and emotional expression towards this policy, and soon turned a small flame into a billowing bonfire.

In class we discussed how using social media platforms sometimes turns an individual voice into a mob-like mentality when others voiced similar opinions. Instead of reacting rationally, most people were reacting entirely out of emotion. They ignored, the “how” and “when” something is said is crucial to properly defending what they believed. From this example we can see how properly using rhetoric when it comes to religion can be tricky, but if we are cautious about when and how we say things, rhetoric can be a great tool in magnifying our beliefs.

Like Augustine, we should look for ways that religion and rhetoric can compliment each other. His educational work was benefitted from religion and vice versa. I too believe we can be greatly benefitted by striking a balance between proper rhetoric and religion.

Short Essay #2: Rhetorical Anlaysis of Jacob 2-3

Jacob has a tough job to do in these chapters. He has been tasked with a large load of topics and principles to call his brethren unto repentance for. I noticed that at the beginning of his exhortation, he establishes his ethos by explaining the responsibility he has in magnifying his calling under the command of God. He continues to add to his ethos as he describes in detail how and when the Lord had asked him to preach unto his people. This credibility is important to Jacob’s task, for if the people understood that these commandments were from God, then they would feel more obligated to repent.

Jacob is distraught over the wickedness of his brethren and explains the great wrath of the Lord that will come upon them if they choose to continue in sin. He uses expressions like, “O that he…” and “O that ye…” which are forms of anaphora, or a figure of repetitive speech. He uses this form of repetition again in a following verse that reads, “But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.” This repetitive structure allows the reader to focus more on the message in a way that is simple, memorable and powerful.

As chapter two continues, Jacob describes different forms of sin, the punishment the Lord will inflict, and how they are to change if they desire to be forgiven. When discussing the great iniquity of plural marriage, Jacob makes a strong refutation against ancient leaders, Solomon and David, who had many wives throughout their lives. He gains great credibility to his refute by adding layer upon layer to his argument of why such a practice is evil before God. At the close of chapter two, Jacob uses comparison between his brethren and the wicked Lamanites for them to grasp how evil their actions had become. By comparing his brethren to their enemies, the Lamanites, the grievous but powerful exhortation packed a good ending punch.

At the beginning of chapter three, Jacob uses description to define the outcome of those who remain pure in heart and seek the Lord. This tactic is seen throughout all of Jacob’s teachings, and without it, it would be difficult to desire to obey God. All of these rhetorical elements combine to make a very strong Deliberative speech throughout both chapters. The prophet Jacob does an excellent job of establishing the laws that have been broken, and the blessings that are given when his brethren choose to obey God’s commandments.

Objectivity vs. Transparency: Why Journalists Should Choose to be Transparent

“We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men…” (AOF #13) From my early childhood, I was taught to obey these guidelines in hopes that by being obedient to them, I would receive blessings. Personal standards are strongly encouraged within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints so that we won’t be swayed by evil influences in the world. In the news media world, ethics can be looked over and personal standards sway easily under the pressure of producing reader-worthy news. Although there are many methods journalists use to produce news, to avoid over looking personal ethics journalists should take a transparent approach. Being straight forward with personal standards and opinions on certain topics not only agree with the professional ethics they are asked to follow, but also lowers the chance of acting in a way that would jeopardize personal beliefs.

Annotated Working Draft and Hot Spots in Broadcast Journalism

1. Communication and Persuasion in Broadcast Journalism
-This post was a basic telling of how I became interested in Broadcast Journalism. I admire the fluidity and intelligence of people who can speak well, and I mentioned a professor that helped fuel my desire to become a Broadcast Journalist. It's the perfect profession for someone who strives to be informed constantly and looks to progress in professional communication

2. Storytelling in Broadcast Journalism
-This post explains in an "inception" sort of way how story telling is done within Broadcast Journalism. It also shows the importance of good communication within a working environment. A major point made in this post is that leaders in working environments need to relay important messages in a compelling way, especially because their coworkers are professional communicators.


3. Broadcast Journalism Within the History of Civilization
-Communication is a life-long endeavor, and has transformed and progressed immensely over the years. Broadcast journalism was born when the television became a popular medium for people throughout the world. Today, broadcast journalism has become a heavily relied upon way to receive news locally, nationally and worldwide.


4. Institutional Authority and Broadcast Journalism
-I used the example of a girl named Kenra who debated applying for a job that required educational skills she hadn't obtained yet. This post explained the necessary skills gained through communication courses to succeed at Broadcast journalism. With the right training, great understanding of specific laws pertaining to journalism and a fearless attitude, you can be a great Broadcast Journalist.

Hot Spots:

Hot Spot #1 (field): I think one of the biggest struggles in the News Media field is keeping your work completely objective. It's difficult to keep your own opinions and ideas out of the descriptive points and views you have as a journalist. Fortunately, a code of ethics established by the Society of Professional Journalists helps keep all those in the news media field in line; Whether or not the journalist decides to follow it rely's wholly upon them.

Hot Spot #2 (personal): An overlapping hotspot for me personally is coming up with my own personal code of ethics being an LDS woman in the workplace. Even though there are general ethics asked to be followed by all people in the newsroom, it doesn't mean that everyone is an angel. Arguments occur, people talk behind others backs, scandalous things happen and so on. These sorts of issues aren't something you really think about when Broadcast Journalism is mentioned. I've had to establish my own code of ethics to stay true to my religion and standards in the workplace also.

Institutional Authority and communication in Broadcast Journalism

Getting accepted into the News Media program at BYU was a big deal... especially since Kenra felt like she wasn't all to good at anything else the school had to offer. Upon acceptance, she noticed that the BYU Universe [authoritative organization] was looking to hire some fresh blood in the news room.

"You know you have to have experience in these fields right Kenra?" Said Professor Walz. "Although I wouldn't be surprised if you were accepted based on the work you've already done. What is your experience like in reporting specifically?" [Influential event]

 "Well, I haven't had too much experience, but I did do a few VO/SOT/VO's and packages for my high school during my senior year?... We had a great increase in viewership that year too." Brother Walz gazed skeptically from Kenra to the window, nodding as he thought. "Well you see Kenra, that experience is great, but this job requires a bit more than just high school experience. According to the application details you have to complete comms 321 that'll teach you how to report on a specific beat, retrieve database info. fast and gain a lot of skill in interviewing. Do you feel ready for a job that requires something like that?" [regulating standard]


Kenra gulped. She knew that it would be a big job to fulfill, but she was still confident in her skill to write and succeed at this job. With a little hesitancy she replied, "I'm currently in the 321 course. What else would be expected of me in this position?"

"You'd gain great abilities to work with peers in a high-stress-deadline-driven environment. Another big help in prepping for this position would be the comms 300 course which covers all media ethics and law. It's super helpful to know the in's and out's of each law so you make smart choices in those crazy situations." [authoritative publication] "Upon succeeding in these courses, I'm sure you will be fully prepared for more than one position in the newsroom."

Kenra contemplated the risk of applying for a job considering she hadn't completed the laws and ethics class yet. Dr. Walz started again, "You know Kenra, there's no harm in trying... in fact it might be good to at least get your name out there! Just remember that you'll be going up against students who have a lot of experience under their belts." [challenging authority/changing standards] Kenra sighed with a little relief at the faith her mentor had in her.

"Thank-you Professor Walz... I'll piece together the best resume I can muster and hope for the best!"

Biblical Eloquence in 1 John 1

St. John begins his recount of the Gospel of Christ and his ministry in a very interesting way. He grabs our attention by relating parts of his text to the rhetorical tool, simile. He relates objects to God, giving the objects a more significantly powerful meaning. Rhetorically and poetically this form of writing helps emphasize how important something such as scripture, or the "word", is relatively important to our relationship with God and how we view him.

1. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2. The same was in the beginning with God.

3. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.

4. In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

5. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Even though we know the word, being referred here to as scripture, wasn't literally conceived from God, we understand through this form of rhetoric that it is through God that everything we read and interpret spiritually will bring us closer to him.

Verses four and five are also an extended type of simile, or can be more related to the topic of invention: Genus/species. Here John explains that the Lord is the creator of life and that life equals the light of men. From this origin of understanding John then poetically ties in that light will always shine in darkness- and the darkness implies that there is an opposing force to God, who we commonly know as Satan, that can't comprehend light.

I think there are many rhetorical tools that prophets in the bible used unintentionally. To their advantage, it emphasized their points very well. This rhetorical analysis helped me realize how much more depth is added when you understand their biblical eloquence.

Broadcast Journalism Within the History of Civilization

Let's take a step back in time for a few minutes... Imagine yourself on a farm in the middle of Lehi, Utah. The cows are grazing, and then a young man trots up to you with a bit of parchment. He recites to you the months events and news ... that happened a good couple of weeks ago. You exchange some information and ask him to let the folks in the next town over know about your fresh crops for sale... but by that time who knows how fresh they'll really be? Welcome to the first problems broadcast news and broadcast journalism were born to solve!

I think we can all agree, especially from our conversation in class today, that recorded history has proven extremely precious to us! The early Roman Empire established the Acta Diurna, or Daily news, posted on a type of bulletin board in the middle of the city for everyone to read. This was the first type of mass communication the world could offer. As the U.S. was populated and mass communication started to take hold, Newspapers became the primary source of information, and a great man by the name of Guglielmo Marconi provided the first opportunity to have news broadcasted all over the world!

This development enabled the world to progress in immense ways. The early 1900's proved to be a great time of experimentation with mass communication. Radio talk shows, comic strips, journalism and so many other parts of communication started to flourish! For example: Nellie Bly, a fiery female journalist, decided to go undercover at an insane asylum and exposed the way people were being treated horribly in the asylum. Soon Nellie, alongside many other amazing journalists, earned the name muckraker for their ability to find great stories among the muck!

News became the bread and butter of American life! "Journalism is objective, which means readers/viewers take in all angles of an issue when they consume. It also makes connections among people more easily possible, and it promotes change through better awareness." Says Alyssa Banks currently in and loving the news media major. News, like Alyssa mentioned, is the prime opportunity for people to be informed and look for ways to help others and themselves best progress in civilization.

Sparks

How I would normally tell it: 

1. Sparks

2. Friends/Family

3. Here's the story.

 I had always wondered what it would be like to share a stage with a pop star. I was about 14 years old when I got called in for an audition to be apart of a singing group called, "4 real". It was absolutely everything that a teeny-bopper music loving girl could ever ask for! Not only were we going to be a singing group, but we were also going to have our own television show that would be broadcast throughout the U.S. #ohyeah. Over time, there were a few flops and big road bumps, but eventually we started to gain some credibility in the music world.

We beefed up our on stage set and spiced up our dance routines, which brought in a lot of calls for different shows throughout Utah. As the excitement was building, we were practicing harder and training longer so that we could keep the show momentum going. One day our manager called us in for a surprise meeting. With a huge smile on his face, he told us how proud he was for all that we've done, and knew that our hard work would pay off. He proceeded to tell us that someone apart of the Jordin Sparks touring team had requested for us to be the opening act for her stop in Utah! No words could describe how excited I was.

The day of the show arrived and all the excitement had boiled down and had turned almost completely into nerves. I was still that 14 year old tween-dreamer that had no clue what she was doing. Fortunately, the show went smoothly... no one forgot their lyrics or dance moves, and Jordin even sat backstage to watch us perform! We felt so honored to be apart of her production.

Revised version: 

1. Performing is Life!

2. Hiring staff at an audition/interview for another show going on tour.

3. Story time.

It has been said throughout history that [Nothing worth having comes easy.] I have been a witness to this as I learned the value of hard work preparing for this performance with Jordin. You would have thought I was a [kid going to Disneyland for the first time], when I found out I would be the opening act for Jordin! and it led to some of the best performing I had ever done.

[A performer has to consider every now and then what it truly means to perform? the definition of which can vary from entertainer to entertainer. For me personally, it means to balance your own fulfillment of joy with the desire to please an audience with your talent.] I wanted more than anything to fulfill this definition. I understood that the stakes were set high for this performance, and there was no time to waste.

[Endless, tiring and rugged rehearsals commenced for days at a time], and often we found ourselves absolutely danced out; But that didn't stop us from being the best opening act we hoped Jordin would ever have. [We had to remind ourselves often that we never thought we would be where we are, but our hard work and desires in the past proved to be the perfect catapult towards a bright future in performing.] Nothing would slow us down.

The day came, hair was done, sound check complete and the stage lights blinding. The Jordin Sparks we were about to share the stage with turned our desire to perform from a little spark into a undying flame. [From the first step on the stage to the crowd bursting into cheers and claps, we felt as if we were on fire.] It was a performance I will never forget.

You may have heard the popular social statement, ["ball is life" or, "food is life"... but for me, "Performing is life."] I see any opportunity to be on stage as another chance to fan that flame, and I know you wouldn't be disappointed if I was given another chance to grow closer to achieving my dance dreams through this show!

Aesop’s "The One-Eyed Doe"

“Presumption was the curse that blinded me, but now it is the bullet’s curse that has opened my eyes,” said the dying doe. “Finally, we’ve got us some eat!” was the sailor’s cry of victory, as his shot was gave way to the doe's moan of demise. All she had noted with her good eye was the posted sign that allowed enemies to her path, so all that she looked for were the boots on land. As her other eye, it was blind to the ships on the sea.

Personal Stories Catalog- Kotahi Tarawhiti

1. The story of how my family ended up in America [major life change story, culture shock story, story that inspires dependence on personal revelation]. I tell this story mostly so people know that I haven't grown up in America my whole life, and how growing up in another country has had a huge impact on who i've become.

2. The story of how I got my name and how it has effected the way I've grown up [identity story, personal meaning story, connecting to Maori culture]. This story is usually told when people ask why such a light skinned girl like me got such an exotic name.

3. The story of how and where my parents met and were married [ma & pa story, family basis, mix of cultures story]. This story is usually the product of the question: "So, your dad is Polynesian and your mother is American... how'd you come out so white?"

4. The story about how after four years of the not-so-greatest high school experience I decided to speak at graduation [ending on a good note type of story, making the best of what you got, looking for the good even when it all seems dull story]. I tell this story mainly to show that even though I didn't love high school, there were many parts I am grateful for making me who I am today.

5. The story about how I got involved with hip-hop dancing at a young age [fun story, unexpected results type of story, blessings of taking chances story]. A lot of people ask what I like to do, and when I tell them I dance they always ask what type of dancing... then it slowly leaks into me babbling about how much I love hip-hop.

6. The story about being one of two dancers that danced back-up for Lindsey Stirling during a Lakers half time show [personal goal/accomplishment story, dance story, reaching for your dreams story]. I usually tell this story when I get into conversations with people who want to know what I've done with dancing since I started. For some reason name dropping was particularly important around certain crowds I grew up dancing with (forgive me if it seems like boasting).

7. The story about how I was the opening act for Jordin Sparks when she came to Utah after her round on American Idol [explanation story, fun story, different skill sets story]. The only reason I really tell this story is because my mother loves to post old videos of me singing and people ask what some things I've done with singing have been.

8.  The story about my senior prom and awesome last minute date [funny story, immaturity story, high school probs story]. This is a fun story I always tell when a group of friends decides to talk about how immature both genders can be at times.

9. The story of my first experience walking around as a full-time missionary on the grounds of the Joseph Smith birthplace memorial [mission story, spiritually enlightening, inspirational story]. This story was particularly important to how the remainder of my mission would be determined.

10. The story of one of my converts who had a pretty big set back on a farm while trying to prepare for baptism [perseverance story, spiritual story, working towards a goal story]. This story is one I would share to help give people a better picture of what my mission was like and how strong the people were where I served.

Storytelling in Broadcast Journalism

Foreward:
-In order to truly succeed in the field of communications you have to be wearing a massive belt that can hold all rhetorical tools! at one point or another, there will always be one that will be of better use than the other. In the specific field of broadcast journalism, an emphasis on narrative rhetorical pedagogy is used the most. The narrative emphasis of speech encompasses the who, what, where, when and how of a situation and a broadcast journalist really can't accomplish the purpose of their job without these components. One in this field can expect that storytelling becomes their first route of communication with all audiences.

To emphasize the importance of who, what, where, when, why and how, I've created a situation where a reporter learned quickly how important it was to be on their "A-game", and how a supervisor would use them as an example to new reporters.

example:
-A fresh broadcast journalist, straight out of college is running mad around the newsroom trying to piece together a huge story that just came out about a disease in a neighboring state. Let's say her name is Jane.

Story: 
-Jane is experiencing her first major news rush and has been asked to be the woman in charge of getting the story out there as quickly as possible. She only has a few facts and live interviews to run with and now the newscast is less than an hour away. Jane knows that the three minute time slot won't be enough time to relay all the emotions that came with the situation, and decides to start her broadcast with a sympathetic headline, but sets her focus more on how many people were effected, how they were effected and what we can expect will be done to happen/help the cause in the future.

Analysis: 
-The priority of any newscast is to fit in the 4 w's and h as soon as possible, making narrative the most applicable here. It is also very important that Jane represents her company as one that cares, so she intertwines sympathy. This would be an example used for new and upcoming reporters and would help them identify what takes priority in timely situations.

Retelling the story:
-If the point of the story is to really help new broadcast journalists prioritize their information and relay what would be most suitable to the audience, the story could be told with a little more intensity and description. They also must understand that the kairos of a situation is so vital to how many people will rely on them as a solid news source in the future.

- Families all over Utah County can sleep soundly tonight knowing that there is no danger of disease in their area. They are our priority. The news is their safeguard. Tonight, Jane proved this all to be true as she zeroed in on the main priorities of this massive news story that took the whole state of Utah by surprise. 

In the heat of the moment, we were only receiving minimal details and a few bare interviews to go off of... so... what would you do? 

Jane decided to run with the most important facts first: who and how people were being effected, and if we in the local area would be effected. She closed with a promising statement that ensured people we would have more facts on the disease itself soon, and how they can take precautionary measures. Even though we aren't in control of all the circumstances surrounding this event, it is our job to ensure our audience that they are getting the most efficient local news. Effectiveness and efficiency: this is our guarantee, and we must live up to that statement. 

- The purpose of this example is to inspire news reporters to always prepare the facts first, and leave the fluff for last. By talking about the audience first, it helps new reporters see the end goal of making sure their narrative, or newscast is prioritized properly and effectively.

Communication and Broadcast Journalism

Broadcast Journalism and communication are literally two peas in a pod, if not the same pea! Communication within broadcast journalism consists of reporters going out and talking with people, asking inspired questions, writing appealing and unbiased packages and most importantly, delivering current news in a timely and vibrant fashion!

I haven’t been in the broadcast journalism field for very long, but from what I’ve learned, the most important part about being a broadcast journalist is finding the most interesting/current thing to report on, making kairos a vital part of our work. If we don’t report on things in the right moment, it could badly damage the ethos of the news network.

The audience for broadcast journalism must be earned and maintained on a daily basis. Through different topics of invention broadcast journalists shape their approaches to fit the situation best. After collecting information and formatting it correctly, they have the chance to retell the information in front of a camera. I think this is one of the easiest ways journalists get audiences to trust them! It’s the perfect opportunity to show personality and charisma which helps persuade people to follow their news feed.

I was taking a communications class in the summer and Professor Walz showed a few interesting video clips of himself in action when he was a fulltime journalist. He showed different news stories of various events but decided to end with one that was about fishing. Not to dog on fishing because I know that’s someone’s view of heaven, but it should’ve been extremely boring! Bro. Walz taught us through this clip that with the right description, balance of puns and good delivery you can make almost anything interesting. His witty introduction addressed all the fish lovers of Utah County and then went straight into hard facts about certain fishing areas of Utah, making the story seem credible and important. His arrangement was simple yet catchy, and made us want to watch until the whole 4 minute clip was over. 

Bro. Walz was able to deliver this news without much bias or fake persuasion, and that’s really what caught my attention. For a while I really hated watching certain newscasts because of the way they would manipulate stories to increase their viewer/readership. I began to appreciate the importance of news again after this class and understanding more what journalism should be from Bro. Walz examples. I want to be able to inform people of what’s happening in the world without spinning a story out of control to make myself, or the company, look good. With a balance of most of the rhetorical tools we have talked about, true journalism arises and can be used in powerful ways.

The Waitangi Treaty

There are a lot of similarities between our civilization now and the Ancient Roman culture. We've got great art, architecture, the Olympics and much more, but something that I found really interesting was how Alexander the Great was successful in maintaining the cultures of the places he took over, while incorporating new ideas from his own culture. 

In my home country of New Zealand, we celebrate Waitangi day; A national holiday that reminds us of a peace treaty the Maori Chieftains signed with the British Government in 1840. In short, they promised to provide the Maori people with greater education, imported goods and higher status, if they could establish themselves and share their goods. Eventually the British crossed the seas and began to establish themselves among the people. There were a few big cultural roadblocks, like not understanding each other properly about what was who's and who was in charge, but eventually the Maori people began to take to the English language and British culture. They could now be represented as a strong individual nation across the world. Luckily the Wairua, or the deeply sacred culture still remains intact, just like Alexander the Great tried to maintain. 

Even though at the time it was a bit of a struggle for the New Zealand people to share their land with these new white strangers, this integration of cultures provided us with greater opportunities to succeed not just in New Zealand, but all over the world. This development of cultures enabled my father to eventually meet my mother in Hawaii. If it weren't for the way history had played out, who knows if I would be where I am today! 

Midterm Essays

Prompt #4 – Medium and Message

During the time of the great Socratics, the written word was just beginning to establish itself in the Greek culture. For Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, the alphabet and other literary tools would have a huge effect on the way these thinkers worked.  Socrates was firmly planted in his own concept of gaining knowledge through one on one conversation, and was now faced with a challenge of thoughts and ideas losing some of their purity. The pure form of oral communication would be altered now that ideas could be written down. He would lose some important qualities to his speech, like connecting with the audience and accurately portraying himself.

On the other hand, Plato and Aristotle thrived on the written word. Plato would eventually use writing to describe a conversation between the Sophist, Gorgias and Socrates. Alongside this powerful dialogue, Aristotle was able to record important rhetorical tools that could be taught throughout time. Aristotle created systematic learning, and much of what we understand about rhetoric and it’s tools came from his studies and written works.

Even though there were a few downfalls, the establishment of literacy among the Greek culture was a wonderful unifying tool overall. Different cities could become one as there was spread of ideas and thoughts on paper and stories could finally be written down to be remembered throughout time. Without literacy in those days, I don’t know how much of what Socrates, Plato and Aristotle studied back then would be available to us now.

Prompt #2 - Sophists vs. Socratics 

If you put Socratic and a Sophist in a Rhetorical boxing ring, I truly wonder who would come out victorious. Around 5^th-4^th B.C., a rhetorical debate between Sophists and Socratics began to form. Socrates was against rhetoric being a tool used only for manipulating language to fit the needs of the speaker and eventually persuade the audience to do or think whatever the speaker thought was right. He believed that the only way rhetoric could be pure would be if it was balanced with moral philosophy. Sophists on the other hand thought language was a way to help people get to similar levels of understanding; Even if it didn’t embody the whole truth. They based their belief on the power to get people to think the way that they would, no matter how bad their case might have been. 

Then along came Plato, a Socratic, who wrote a lengthy fictional dialogue between Socrates and the Sophist Gorgias. Gorgias was portrayed as someone pretty submissive and willing to listen to everything Socrates had to say, but in the real world I’m sure Gorgias would’ve put up a little more of a fight. In this dialogue Plato takes advantage of the written word to write his own opinions of Socratic theory through this conversation with Gorgias, basically putting words in his mouth. As a true sophist, I’m sure Gorgias would’ve argued something similar to Isocrates who said that rhetorical speech is responsible for inventions, civility and many more things that benefit our lives.

Socratics and Sophists have a long history of differing opinions and theories, with rhetoric as the dividing line. Yet we are fortunate to have both opposing sides to learn from and give a broader perspective on rhetoric and the different ways it can be used. Both parties have helped us to create our own opinions of what we should and shouldn’t believe about what people say.