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Abil Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Making the worse appear the better cause
I don't know whether it is the proper place to ask this question. Can anyone tell me the meaning of the phrase "making the worse appear the better cause".
This is from The Dialogues of Plato (Section Apology). Let me give the full extract below:
"This confounded Socrates, they say; this villainous misleader of youth! -- and then if somebody asks them, why, what evil does he practice or teach? they do not know, and cannot tell; but in order that they may not appear to be at a loss, they repeat the ready-made charges which are used against all philosophers about teaching things up in the clouds and under the earth, and having no gods, and making the worse appear the better cause; for they do not like to confess that their pretense of knowledge has been detected -- which is the truth; and as they are numerous and ambitious and energetic, and are drawn up in battle array and have persuasive tongues, they have filled your ears with their loud and inveterate calumnies.
This is from The Dialogues of Plato (Section Apology). Let me give the full extract below:
"This confounded Socrates, they say; this villainous misleader of youth! -- and then if somebody asks them, why, what evil does he practice or teach? they do not know, and cannot tell; but in order that they may not appear to be at a loss, they repeat the ready-made charges which are used against all philosophers about teaching things up in the clouds and under the earth, and having no gods, and making the worse appear the better cause; for they do not like to confess that their pretense of knowledge has been detected -- which is the truth; and as they are numerous and ambitious and energetic, and are drawn up in battle array and have persuasive tongues, they have filled your ears with their loud and inveterate calumnies.
Top answer
Making bad goals seem good.
- Making bad goals seem good.
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In this part of The Apology, Plato is addressing previous accusations made against him. Saying that he "made the worse appear the better cause" was an implication that he was a Sophist, a type of Greek man who recieved money from young Greek men to be taught the rules of logical arguement. This form of arguement focused on being right even if you have a flawed arugment (like debate, or a lawyer)
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