There are people who frown upon eloquence and censure men who study philosophy, For Isocrates' use of the word “philosophy” as covering what
 we mean by “culture” and his identification of “discourse” with the cultivated life see
 General Introduction, pp. xxiii ff. asserting that those who engage in such
 occupations do so, not for the sake of virtue, but for their own advantage. Now, I should
 be glad if those who take this position would tell me why they blame men who are ambitious
 to speak well, but applaud men who desire to act rightly; for if it is the pursuit of
 one's own advantage which gives them offense, we shall find that more and greater
 advantages are gained from actions than from speech. Moreover, it is passing strange if the fact has escaped them that we reverence the gods
 and practice justice, and cultivate the other virtues, not that we may be worse off than
 our fellows, but that we may pass our days in the enjoyment of as many good things as
 possible. They should not, therefore, condemn these means by which one may gain
 advantage Advantage (in the good sense) which works no
 disadvantage to others. Cf. Isoc. 15.275 . without
 sacrifice of virtue, but rather those men who do wrong in their actions or who deceive by
 their speech and put their eloquence to unjust uses. I am astonished that those who hold the view to which I have just referred do not rail
 also against wealth and strength and courage; for if they are really hostile to eloquence
 because there are men who do wrong and speak falsehood, they ought to disparage as well
 all other good things; for there will be found also among men who possess these some who
 do wrong and use these advantages to the injury of many. Good things are bad if badly used. See Aristot. Nic.
 Eth. 1094b 17 . Cf. Seneca, Ep. i. 5. 9: “multa bona nostra nobis
 nocent.” 
 Nevertheless, it is not fair to decry strength because there are persons who assault
 people whom they encounter, nor to traduce courage because there are those who slay men
 wantonly, nor in general to transfer to things the depravity of men, but rather to put the
 blame on the men themselves who misuse the good things, and who, by the very powers which
 might help their fellow-countrymen, endeavor to do them harm. The same argument is made at length in Isoc.
 15.251-252 , also in defense of eloquence. 
 But the fact is that since they have not taken the trouble to make distinctions after
 this manner in each instance, they are ill-disposed to all eloquence; and they have gone
 so far astray as not to perceive that they are hostile to that power which of all the
 faculties that belong to the nature of man is the source of most of our blessings. For in
 the other powers which we possess we are in no respect superior to other living creatures;
 nay, we are inferior to many in swiftness and in strength and in other resources;