Techne is the Greek work for art. Today, art is known for having no rules or boundaries. In ancient Athenian times, art was a practiced and technical skill. In the Gorgias by Plato, the art of rhetoric is defined, but not practiced. According to Plato, rhetoric is used to delegate power, justice, and legislation. The rhetoric used in the Encomium of Helen was also lacking in art. In this speech, rhetoric was used to persuade by using poetry and eloquent meter. Although different from modern societies, ancient Athens had a very art-dominated society.
             In the Gorgias, Plato depicts Gorgias as a professional teacher of the art of persuasion as the means to political success. Gorgias was a sophist and a rhetorician. He regarded the art of rhetoric superior to all arts. Gorgias believed that words acquire their own meaning, because they are not connected by the bonds of being anything but themselves. Words become open to each and every meaning and hence become meaningless. It is here then that Gorgias states that words are the instrument of suggestion, persuasion, and belief. Gorgias feels that rhetoric is precisely the art of producing these words and can be said to be the art of persuasion.
             Gorgias' definition of art, however, is not acceptable to Socrates. He states that by Gorgias' definition of rhetoric as an art, using speech, can apply to all practices and skills; for example, medicine and geometry. Socrates distinguishes between true art - beneficial to society - and false art - flattery. Socrates argues that geometry and astronomy are false arts. To Plato, medicine and geometry is just that, while the use of rhetoric leads to political power. (89)
             The author of Antidosis, Isocrates, also believes astronomy and geometry to be false arts. According to Isocrates, these two sills have no use in practical, Athenian lifestyle. Because they do not apply to life, they are not remembered and there is no use to these ski...