Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
This is a live-stream of the lecture. An edited version of the lecture will be uploaded in due course.
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https://app.sli.do/event/8T9fPMDExcxTN9fipDppUc
A lecture by Melissa Lane
Rhetoric’s emergence in ancient Greece both animated and threatened public life, above all in Athens. A democracy that depended on frank speech had to confront new means of manipulation and deception.
Plato tackled this threat throughout his writings, especially in the Gorgias: a dialogue interrogating the new breed of professional rhetoricians and their political offspring. This lecture engages with Plato’s reflections on how lies can foment power; how power can exploit lies; and how speaking truth to power might nevertheless be possible.
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/plato-truth
Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: gresham.ac.uk/support
Website: gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/greshamcollege
Facebook: facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: instagram.com/greshamcollege
This is a live-stream of the lecture. An edited version of the lecture will be uploaded in due course.
Have a Question? No Registration Required
https://app.sli.do/event/8T9fPMDExcxTN9fipDppUc
A lecture by Melissa Lane
Rhetoric’s emergence in ancient Greece both animated and threatened public life, above all in Athens. A democracy that depended on frank speech had to confront new means of manipulation and deception.
Plato tackled this threat throughout his writings, especially in the Gorgias: a dialogue interrogating the new breed of professional rhetoricians and their political offspring. This lecture engages with Plato’s reflections on how lies can foment power; how power can exploit lies; and how speaking truth to power might nevertheless be possible.
The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
gresham.ac.uk/whats-on/plato-truth
Gresham College has offered free public lectures for over 400 years, thanks to the generosity of our supporters. There are currently over 2,500 lectures free to access. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds. To support Gresham's mission, please consider making a donation: gresham.ac.uk/support
Website: gresham.ac.uk
Twitter: twitter.com/greshamcollege
Facebook: facebook.com/greshamcollege
Instagram: instagram.com/greshamcollege
