I forgot we would be given our essay topics on Genesis/Kant/Plato so as I read Gorgias, I was thinking of possible topics.  An interesting thing I thought about—and since we do have essay topics now, so I’m thinking of bringing this up in my presentation—was what Plato may have thought about—interpreted—Genesis,  in the same way as Kant did.  Though Gorgias is largely about oratory, (is it a craft, is it good, etc.?) some other themes that came up through Socrates’ discussion of oratory could be related to Genesis.

-The idea of the corruption of the soul is prevalent in Gorgias and with the idea of Christian sin; Socrates/Plato may have thought, like Kant, that Adam and Eve’s Original Sin was, in the end, a good thing as they were punished for; they payed for their ‘unlawfulness’ and therefore were cured the corruption of their souls.

-The idea of acting on people and being acted upon is also relevant in Genesis.  It could be applied to God’s punishment’s throughout Genesis.  Who is more miserable?  Because God is ostensibly a tyrant in his ‘kingdom’ of Earth, Plato may have said he is the more miserable one out of all he punished, only doing what he sees “fit” such as the wiping out of humanity through the flood.  Though, as said above, he does usually punish when humans have corrupted their souls, so he is at least doing good for others.  Would Plato think either miserable or “good and admirable”?

-Also, Plato may have not seen Adam and Eve’s curses of toiling for food and birth pains respectively, as burdens because, as Socrates argues with Callicles, there is a difference between pleasure/pain and good/bad; through painful experiences, one can still come out with something good.  Adam gets food for his troubles and Eve can continue the human race.

-Though there isn’t much about oratory in Genesis, are there still characters that could be described as such, or maybe as philosophers by Plato’s definition?

I’m mainly bringing this up because I just thought it was interesting and I saw connections could be made between some of our readings, I mean, remake/remodel.  It’s also nice to go over all of Plato’s ideas in this sort of difficult text.  And these were given to us to be read in succession, right? (also if I sound crazy or anyone thinks my views are unfounded or my ideas are far fetched, I won’t mind, like Socrates, to be refuted)