 In the Gorgias, Plato had Socrates mount a passionate attack on rhetoric, by contrast with philosophy, as concerned with mere persuasion rather than truth. For Cicero, as probably the supreme orator of his day, matters could not be that simple. The use of speech to manipulate others for self-serving ends could not, of course, be condoned. But the idea that pure reasoning, divorced from communicative skill, was sufficient to win people round to philosophy struck Cicero as, if anything, even more dangerously misguided. The resources of oratory must be recruited to the vital enterprise of disseminating philosophy to new audiences. Cicero often shows himself acutely conscious of criticism that a practical Roman should so much as attempt to write philosophy. By writing it in a way that was not alienating to its potential audience, he could aspire to draw his critics in despite themselves.