Φαίδρος

The dialogue opens with a reading of a popular speech arguing that a non-lover is preferable; Socrates and his interlocutor examine the limits of written rhetoric and of standard persuasive techniques, leading Socrates to deliver contrasting speeches about love, the soul's divine nature, and inspired madness. He develops an extended charioteer allegory to describe the soul's journey between mortal desire and rational control, distinguishes varieties of divine mania, and argues that authentic rhetoric must rest on knowledge of the soul and the pursuit of truth and beauty rather than mere persuasive effect. The discussion closes by weighing the merits of speech over writing and sketching an ideal art of discourse.