Gorgias

Gorgias lived in the Greek settlement of Leontium(i) on the island of Sicily from about 483-375 B.C.E.. He did, however, travel to Athens in an ambassadorial role. He is famous for making the followi n g three rather astounding assertions: nothing really exists, even if something did it couldn't be known, and even if something existed and could be known, knowledge of it couldn't be imparted to others! Scholars debate whether Gorgias was actually serious or making some sort of joke (for example, that the power of rhetoric was such that even the most absurd statements could be made to appear plausible). In any event he abandoned philosophy (including discussions of questions of truth and morality) and turned exclusively to the study and teaching of rhetoric. Socrates, of course, would stand opposed to all of this and, thus, the disparaging reference to him in this part of the Apology.