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So far in Gorgias, philosopher Socrates has been questioning orator Gorgias about the nature of his craft. To understand their discussion, it’s necessary to understand what Socrates means by a “craft.” With this term (techne in Greek), Socrates refers to sets of practices which have a specific goal in mind, particularly an intention of producing something. Gorgias maintains that his craft of oratory produces speeches, but Socrates points out that other crafts—like mathematics or medicine, for example—also produces speeches about their particular subjects.
Gorgias finally explains that oratory specifically seeks to produce persuasion in public settings, especially in…