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Podcast: The Philosophers Stoned
Episode: Episode 22: The Sophists, Rhetoric, and Weaponized Persuasion
Description: In this episode, we respond to a listener question about the Sophists of Ancient Greece. Gorgias (AKA Lil Gorgeous) claimed that he did not teach the art of living well, but rather the art of persuasion. Persuasion is value-neutral- the artful persuader can lead people to a life of virtue and knowledge, but they could also lead people into vice and ignorance. How should we deal with weaponized persuasion in the age of deep fakes and the internet?