1. Demos: The people; the ordinary people of the masses. These are rhetoric’s audience, the ones there to listen to another’s idea. They are there to be persuaded. In Plato’s Phaedrus, it is noted that Plato had an unorthodox view on democracy for an Ancient Athenian. As apart of the upper class, he wanted leadership within government to rely solely in the hands of the elite. Although he had a large interest in the topic of rhetoric, he strongly disliked the effect it had on the audience, or as he calls them “demos.” Demos is extremely relevant because without the general public, there would no need for this art. There would be nobody to express opinions to or to persuade.

2. Techne: The art of discipline. Techne is the process in which a good outcome or product is produced in. Early Sophists, including Socrates, believed themselves that they taught this. Plato claims that any true art involves knowledge so an individual who practices this must be able to explain logically how the process achieves its outcome. Plato’s definition of rhetoric is the process and form in which the soul is lead to truth through persuasion and arguments. So, the foundation of a techne in rhetoric is knowledge of truth and knowledge of the soul. Rhetoricians must be knowledgeable on the topic they are persuading to demos but they also must be understand the concept of the soul trying to discover the ultimate truth.

3. Psychagogia: The art of influencing the soul. Socrates first used this term to define rhetoric  and Plato follows up with it in a very similar fashion but furthers the discussion. Plato’s use of the sophist’s term suggests a more rational approach. Plato’ rhetoric and use of psychagogia is the art of leading the soul towards truth. Essentially, the basis of psychagogia is the teach the soul to want to know the truth thus making it the mission to discover said truth.

4. Episteme: True knowledge. True justice is is based on knowledge. An episteme is the basis of which this truth is discovered. Plato’s whole motto throughout his works is to reach the truth. however, in order to do so, one must have the wisdom to discover it. An episteme is essentially the basis of the majority of his rhetoric due to the fact that he puts so much emphasis on the truth.

5. Rhetores: Individuals during the Sophist Era who made their living off of persuasion. It is evident in Plato’s work that he thought very poorly of these individuals because he lumped rhetors in with politician’s. However, Plato appears not to be the only individual during his time period with this belief. Demosthenes, a very famous orator, describes them as damnable and god-hated. Rhetores appear often in Plato’s plays, often in the forms of Sophists.