Answer :
Final answer:
Socrates contrasted persuasion and truth to emphasize the pursuit of knowledge through reason and dialogue over sophistry that manipulates rhetoric without regard to the truth. The Socratic method is a quest to discover enduring truths in ethics and justice through critical questioning and dialogue.
Explanation:
The function of Socrates' contrast between persuasion and truth is to emphasize the importance of truth over mere persuasion. Socrates and his student Plato noted the distinction between the philosopher, who uses reason in pursuit of the truth, and the Sophist, who manipulates rhetoric to sway an audience irrespective of the truth. This distinction underscores Socrates' belief in the power of dialectic conversation, whence truths about justice, ethics, and virtue emerge through rigorous questioning, as opposed to the Sophist approach that incites emotion and subjective belief. Through the Socratic method, teachers provoke students' self-discovery of truth, exemplifying the notion that knowledge should be pursued for the betterment of oneself and society. The Platonic dialogues serve as a testament to the significance of public discourse and reasoned inquiry, in stark contrast to the Sophist's decay of tradition and moral order by appealing to relativism and emotional manipulation.
