Liberation and Authority

Liberation and Authority provides original, comparative readings of Plato’s Gorgias, the first book of the Republic, and Thucydides’ History, arguing that they share similarities not only in the oft-noted "natural justice" of Callicles, Thrasymachus, and the Melian Dialogue, but also in a development that runs through the whole of each.

Nicholas Thorne received his PhD in classics and ancient philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh.

Introduction Thucydides: Introduction (1) Periclean Athens (2) Post-Periclean Athens (3) Alcibiadean Athens Thucydides: Conclusion Plato - A Holistic Approach to the Gorgias and Republic I The Gorgias: Introduction Shame and the Ad Hominem Arguments (1) Gorgias (2) Polus (3) Callicles How Callicles is Good: Platonic Doctrine in the Gorgias Socrates in the Gorgias Republic I (1) Cephalus (2) Polemarchus (3) Thrasymachus Republic I: Conclusion The Gorgias and the First Book of the Republic: Connections and Comparison Conclusion Works Cited