Now all of this is exceedingly odd. I think it’s understandable that Callicles asks whether Socrates is serious or whether he’s joking. Like Polus, Callicles notes Gorgias was ashamed and thus claimed to be able to teach the noble and good things. Likewise, according to Callicles, Polus fell short when he conceded that doing injustice is more shameful than suffering injustice.
Drawing on the distinction between nature and convention Callicles asserts the following: