Gorgias's Thought

An Epistemological Reading

Erminia Di Iulio

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2022
• Print ISBN: 9781032234427
• eBook ISBN: 9781000627039
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Ancient History

Gorgias's Thought: An Epistemological Reading is the first monograph published in English entirely devoted to Gorgias's epistemological thought and provides a new perspective on Gorgias's thought more broadly.

The book aims to undermine the common idea that Gorgias is either an orator uncommitted to any conception of truth, or a thinker whose interest is confined to the philosophy of language. It considers his major texts—On What is Not, or On Nature, The Apology of Palamedes and The Encomium of Helen—emphasising the originality and specificity of Gorgias' thought. In combining a philological analysis with substantive use of contemporary epistemological approaches, Di Iulio shows that Gorgias is to be considered first and foremost an epistemologist.

Gorgias's Thought: An Epistemological Reading is of interest to students, scholars and specialists in ancient thought, epistemology, history of philosophy and rhetoric.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title Page
• Series Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 The first thesis of the Treatise: Gorgias on what there is
• 2 The second thesis of the Treatise: Gorgias on epistemology and scepticism
• 3 The Apology of Palamedes: Gorgias on foundationalism, eyewitnessing and true speech
• 4 The Encomium of Helen: The epistemology of persuasion
• 5 The third thesis of the Treatise: The epistemic root of Gorgias’s philosophy of language
• Conclusions
• Index