A Philosophical Reading of the Defense of Palamedes

Abstract

The Defense of Palamedes is the complete speech of Gorgias that has traditionally received the least attention from a philosophical point of view. However, despite the indisputable importance of the Encomium of Helen, the speech is also worthy of analysis and attention, since its philosophical implications are abundant and significant. What we propose here is an interpretation of the speech in light of the famous three theses of the treatise On Non-Being or on Nature, thus offering a coherent reading of the Sicilian sophist's thought. In particular, the third thesis offers some key notions to understanding the intention and structure of the Defense of Palamedes, as well as Gorgias' general conception of language and rhetoric.