Question: Why is Plato concerned about the difference between mere belief and true knowledge?
Plato is concerned with this difference because of the persuasive power of rhetoric. As discussed in class and in the readings, rhetoric is used as a means to persuade, and anyone (as per the Sophists) can learn how to become rhetors. Thus, if a person is able to convince the masses of a particular topic, there is a danger that this topic was founded on faulty reasoning, and the ignorant (or cunning) speaker would have led a large number of people astray. This poses a threat to society, according to Plato, because it takes power away from those who speak with true knowledge (the philosophers/aristocracy) and leaves the people and state vulnerable to corruption.
