The difference between belief and true knowledge is important to Plato because belief may or may not be true and can sway a person from the truth. Knowledge is the truth. Plato understands that lies can be told to a person creating beliefs. He wants people to understand the difference and seek the truth. If people are told the lies and they become beliefs ,thus, causing people to cloud their judgements on what is actually true.
Plato believes that “beliefs” are pure rhetoric and an art, however, they do not require any talent at all. Rhetoric is a tool, in Plato’s eyes, used to create beliefs that turn from knowledge. A person using rhetoric does not have to know anything about the subject at all in order to speak on it; as long as the person can elaborate his message thoroughly, people when believe him.
It is highly important to understand the difference between the two. A person acting as if they know a lot, because of rhetoric, can falsely provide information to anyone. One must strengthen their knowledge to understand these opposites. A person using rhetoric to create beliefs and corruptly sculpt the minds of people is equivalent to a man feinting a punch in a fight then using the other hand.
Plato wishes for people to see through this. Rather than believing false intel, he wishes for them to learn.
I agree with the fact that people can spread false information to anyone if they are effective at using rhetoric as an art of persuasion. People’s beliefs do not necessarily have to be backed up with prior knowledge or facts, which is why there are a lot of people who cannot explain what they believe in. Due to this, all audiences should be skeptical of what they are being told and realize that not all rhetoric has concrete evidence to back it up. I also agree that Plato would rather people talk about topics that have absolute truths rather than topics that do not have a clear cut solution or definition.
Two questions seem to be emerging from this debate: What is the nature (definition) of rhetoric? What is the purpose of rhetoric? Are there only two purposes for which rhetoric can be used–to convey Truth or to deceive? What might be some others, especially today?
COL McDonald