Gorgias of Leontini, a famous teacher of rhetoric, has come to Athens to recruit learners, promising to instruct them how to be leaders in politics and business. An organization has gathered at Callicles’ home to hear Gorgias demonstrate the energy of his artwork. This dialogue blends comic and serious discussion of the best life, offering a penetrating study of ethics.

Is it easier to suffer evil or to carry out evil? Is it better to do something wrong and avoid getting caught or to be captured and punished? Is definitely pleasure the same as goodness? As the individuals in the dialogue pursue these questions, the foundations of ethics and the type of the good life come to light.

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