Isocrates

English 8170
Henry Njiru
4th September 2023
Isocrates

The readings on Isocrates’s critique of the sophists reveal several universal tenets and practices because of his views on extemporaneous speech, liberal arts, and education (that should teach citizens good practical civic roles and virtues). His ideas appear in Against the Sophists, Antidosis, Encomium of Helen, and Alcidamas.

Against the Sophists
In this critique, Isocrates accuses the teachers of disputation of assuming super wisdom to teach the world and falsely promise their students prosperity and happiness. This deceit arises from the philosophers because “they are on the watch for contradictions in words but are blind to inconsistencies in deeds…pretend to have knowledge of the future but are incapable either of saying anything pertinent or of giving any counsel regarding the present.” Thus, the teachers of wisdom fail to teach their students how to do things (education for practical purposes), and disconnect themselves from everyday realities, yet their students are more consistent and successful. The teachers of political discourse do not connect oratorial powers to practical experience because they “undertake to transmit the science of discourse as simply as they would teach the letters of the alphabet, not having taken trouble to examine into the nature of each kind of knowledge.” He challenges these teachers to lead by showing great oratory. They also should discover the intertwining resources and topics in each area of knowledge. Hence, words and knowledge can only be useful to people if they serve practical needs for the individual and common good.
Isocrates defines his tenets and practices in practical education and oratory. He stresses the need for imagination and rigorous mind to understand the occasion, propriety, style, and originality to allow students to “learn the different kinds of discourse and practice himself in their use.” Besides, Isocrates argues that nature and practical experience greatly nurture the ability to supplement formal training. This reinforces the different natural abilities and capacities that we derive from diverse experiences.
Additionally, Isocrates accuses the sophists, philosophers, ad law professors of ignoring the good aspects of education to become “professors of meddlesomeness and greed.” While acknowledging the powers of political discourse to nature good character, Isocrates warns that “there does not exist an art of the kind which can implant sobriety and justice in depraved natures.” This means that good character must precede instruction that should inculcate a just living, but not mere grammatical competence and eloquence.
His principles and practices apply in contemporary society that needs to integrate all academic subjects within the natural and practical realms and interests of humans. The professors and other teachers must lead by exemplifying the highest forms of good character which ensures practical education for justice and prosperity for all.

Antidosis
In this text, Isocrates critiques his rivals of pettiness and lack of practical speech that can allow them perform liturgy. First, he argues that speech helps to establish all human institutions; that is, speech and other communication constitute and are constituted by humans, and their institutions. Persuasive powers distinguish humans from animals because “the power to speak well is taken as the surest index of a sound understanding, and discourse which is true and lawful and just is the outward image of a good and faithful soul.” These powers help to persuade others by first allowing orators to “most skilfully debate their problems in their own minds.” Hence, personal transformation through critical thinking is a prerequisite for leadership, and good communication.
Secondly, Isocrates posits that vacuous disciplines mislead people because “they are not even remembered for any length of time after they are learned because they do not attend us through life, nor do they lend aid in what we do but are wholly divorced from our necessities.” These studies don’t train people in “the gymnastics of the mind” which prepare the mind for practical wisdom rather than mere philosophy. Such mental training should empower speakers to shun useless blabber, speculations, and empty activities.
Third, practical wisdom should help to persuade other people for justice and other common good by using the most convincing, practical, and relevant examples. This is because “the power to speak well and think right will reward the man who approaches the art of discourse with love of wisdom and love of honor.” Such wisdom and honour create credibility and desire in persuasion. Isocrates aptly advises, “the stronger a man's desire to persuade his hearers, the more zealously will he strive to be honorable and to have the esteem of his fellow-citizens because “words carry greater conviction when spoken by men of good repute than when spoken by men who live under a cloud.” This is a practical tenet and practice in all societies because of the challenges of electing and evaluating public officials, many of whom have displayed dishonesty, greed, oppression, and other injustices. It is hard for criminals to lead people despite their wealth and connections. However, critical questions arise why citizens in some countries allow many dictators, killers, racists, tribal jingoists, sexists, and thieves to still hold political and other public offices. Isocrates for leaders and citizens to be conscientious, faithful, and righteous if they must deserve any modicum of nobility and trust.
Fourth, Isocrates warns the young people against wasting their lives in alcoholism, parties gambling, soft living, immature thoughts, and practices. He chastises his rivals for failing to guide these young people away from such destructive attitudes, actions, and places. His concerns immensely resonate with today’s society in which many youths have become rebellious and slavish to destructive consumer addictions, especially because of technologies. He also raises many serious pedagogical and moral responsibilities of students, parents, teachers, and other mentors. Should the school curricula integrate morality, responsibility, and other virtues, or should teachers just teach to display and disseminate knowledge without caring about the moral, spiritual, and sociocultural values and practices of their students? How do teachers who transgress such tenets and practices then become effective mentors?

“Encomium of Helen”
Isocrates critiqued other peoples’ productions and tenets. He faults Gorgias’ argument that nothing exists, rebuts Zeno’s argument on the possibility and impossibility of the same things, and dismissed Melissus’ idea that “the whole is the same and one.” He then shows how to produce his own works because “it is far better to have a sound opinion upon useful things than an accurate knowledge of things that are useless, and to have a slight superiority in matters of importance than to be far above others in small things that are of no practical benefit in life.” Isocrates censors vacuous and seductive words that are impractical and unhelpful to young people because they propel people “to take refuge in absurdities.” He strongly defends the respect for past wise people because they existed in times and places that we did not. Hence, we can productively access the past wisdom, realities, and events if we interrogate what people who witnessed them felt, said and did about them.
To demonstrate the practical and honest oratorial compositions, he praises Helen of Troy, a feminist icon (because of her beauty, birth, fame, and powers which helped many Greeks overcome their human and nonhuman enemies, especially in the Trojan War). He also celebrates Theseus who offered servant and sacrificial leadership by uniting the scattered Attic communities into a city, enabling the Athenians to run their public affairs, and rescued children by killing the Minotaur, the half-animal creature of Crete that fed on sacrificial humans to protect the Cretans.
Isocrates stresses the importance of words in creating infinite forms of identity and relationships among entities, concepts, places, practices, and other phenomena. Hence, we have cause/effect, temporal, spatial, opposites, similarities, qualities, quantities, sizes, and other attributes of entities expressed in words. Thus, juggling words to form these infinite relationships helps to train the mind.
As a proponent of practical education for justice, civil responsibilities, and the common good, Isocrates chastises the teachers who mislead their pupils and students like some people cheat in private contracts. He urges us to relate the acts, thoughts, challenges, and relationships to our present lives, environment and interests because the past teaches lessons to all generations.

“Alcidamas” or “Concerning those who write speeches.”
Considered the father of eloquence and extemporaneous speech, Isocrates valorizes the creativity, flexibility, and mastery of speakers who master the occasion, purpose, and other contextual aspects of speeches. He ridicules the sophists for pretending to know all kinds of rhetoric. He argues that writing is easier than skillful extemporaneous speeches because writers have the space and time to make their arguments. He compares extemporaneous speakers to speedy runners, strong wight lifters, javelin throwers, and archers who outdo their competitors.
Extemporaneous speeches demand great content within a short time within which the speaker mentions and elaborates the main points. Writing is sluggish and follows a fixed structure that requires mastery of the written words.
Isocrates’ ideas on extemporaneous speaking challenge us to be self-reliant and creative in communicating with others. Speech writers imitate other writers, show mechanical artificiality, and lack spontaneity. This is true because good writers are not necessarily great speakers. Training people to be good extemporaneous speakers is more challenging than teaching writing skills, especially because of the technologies which writers use today. His arguments solidify the need to strengthen writing and speechmaking while learning from the greatest orators in human history.