What's the difference between philosophy and sophistry? Or better yet, is there a difference? Does everything come down to how things appear to this or that person (a situation the advertising industry, e.g., might be happy to exploit), or can the proper cultivation of reason arm us with a means of protecting ourselves against the power of appearances by fostering the ability to detect how things really are? In this course we will examine several works by Plato (notably the Gorgias and the Protagoras) in which he pits Socrates (our philosophical hero) against the leading intellectual figures of the day, while also examining fundamental questions about what it is to be human and what it takes to lead a successful human life. Format: seminar. Requirements: several short writing assignments (1-2 pages), active class participation, and two longer papers (one 5-7 pages; the other 10-12 pages). Prerequisites: Philosophy 101 or 102 or 221 or permission of instructor. Enrollment limit: 19 (expected: 5-15). Preference given to Philosophy majors and those considering majoring in Philosophy.