In Plato's dialogue Lesser Hippias, Socrates and Hippias, a sophist, discuss the nature of beauty and the value of knowledge. Hippias claims that beauty is the most important thing in life, and that knowledge is not as valuable as it is often thought to be. Socrates challenges Hippias' views, arguing that knowledge is more important than beauty, and that beauty is only valuable when it is combined with knowledge. The two then discuss the nature of truth and the value of rhetoric. Hippias argues that rhetoric is a valuable tool for persuasion, while Socrates argues that rhetoric is only useful when it is combined with knowledge. The dialogue ends with Hippias conceding that knowledge is more important than beauty, and that rhetoric is only useful when it is combined with knowledge.
By Plato · First published 347 · Genre: Philosophy, Classical Literature, Drama