Abstract

In Gorgias Plato distinguishes empeiria and technê appealing to the notion of reason: Technê offers reasons while empeiria is an alogon pragma. But he links this criterion to the dichotomy of pleasure and good such that the field of technê is limited to good and the field of empeiria to pleasure. I focus on this connection showing its underlying assumptions. I propose to consider that the central dichotomy is that of pleasure and good and that the criterion based on reason can be derived from it. For this I show that good and pleasure do not act solely as objects of technê and empeiria but rather are ways of reasoning and arguing. This leads to the redefinition of the concept of alogon pragma. it must be understood as an activity that is irrational to the extent that it creates pseudoreasons. The concept of Kosmos will be relevant in this context.