The question as to where ethical philosophy ought to end and oratory begin was an abiding interest for the rhetorician-philosophers of Antiquity. This study considers the relationship between the two now distinct disciplines in the theory and practice of Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and the United States, through the lens of transformative…

Scholars of citizenship education have long regarded deliberation as the default framework for democratic discussion in the classroom and beyond. Turning to the history and theory of rhetoric, we question why the deliberative model of the Athenian assembly has been developed for social studies pedagogy without including the litigative discourse of…

Thanks to Mario Untersteiner and those who followed his example, the talk about the Sophists can be heard not only in rhetoricians' hallways, classroom, and convention halls but also in the hallways, classrooms, and convention halls of philologists, historians, philosophers, and literary critics. Sophistical rhetoric emerged in a culture of…

Plato attacked the sophists' claim that they taught "virtue," and he believed that rhetoric, which they taught, was not an "art." If the notions of virtue and art are brought together and integrated to constitute an antithesis, the sophistic position becomes more intelligible and defensible. The Greek term "arete,"…

Much revisionist scholarship has focused on sophistic epistemology and its relationship to the current revival of epistemic rhetoric in the academy. However, few scholars have recognized the sensuous substance of words as sounds, and the role it played in sophistic philosophy and rhetoric. Before the invention of the Greek alphabet, poetry was…

The contemporary view of ethical communication has come full circle, returning to the approach of Aristotle. Almost every public speaking textbook includes discussion of the basic concepts of what Aristotle called ethos, pathos, and logos. Of particular significance is Aristotle's conception of ethos, as elaborated in his work, "The…

Argues that Protagoras, a leading sophist of the fifth century B.C.E., not only arrived at a theory of truth close to present-day antifoundationalism but also took the next step toward developing workable, socially constituted truths and knowledge for everyday practice. Sketches out Protagoras's project to employ the power of literacy for social…

Argues that Plato's representations of women transmit from previous tradition positive views of feminine activities such as weaving, conceiving, midwifery, giving birth, and nurturing. Asks at what point the discovery of Plato's appropriation of the feminine and female itself becomes appropriate. (SR)

Presents a debate between traditionalist ideas from Xin Lin Gale and postmodern ideas from Cheryl Glenn and Susan Jarratt. Quotes Gale who says that you cannot have it both ways, foundational and antifoundational: using the historical evidence to champion Aspasia while at the same time "reclaiming" her from the biases of those very documents.…

Discusses philological evidence supporting a fourth-century origin of the word "rhetorike." Demonstrates that, once named, rhetoric became increasingly disciplinized. Argues that the naming of the phenomena is as relevant to the naming of disciplines as to other social realities. Suggests ways traditional accounts of fifth-century…

Critiques teleological narrative structures implicit in the work of some classical historians, adopting instead a multilayered historiographical method. Argues that a law instituted in 451/450 B.C.E. by Pericles opened up a possibility for resisting women's exclusion from the public sphere. Reads Gorgias' and Isocrates' speeches on Helen of Troy…

Contemporary dispute among teachers of rhetoric between those who prefer the classical tradition of rhetoric and those who champion an epistemic view of rhetoric has antecedents among the disputes of the ancient Greek scholars. Some of the vital themes of epistemology can be traced back to Protagoras of Abdera, one of the two great leaders of the…

Argues that Isocrates does not deny the importance of "technai" or the "prima elementa" of instruction and in fact sees both as important parts of the educational process. Proposes that there existed a "techne" of Isocrates but this "techne" has a very different form than usually thought. Sets out the components of this "techne." (TB)

In an attempt to explain why Aristotle devotes a substantial part of Book Two of "The Rhetoric" to methods for arousing jurors' emotions, despite stating previously that such emotional appeal is nonessential and unethical, this paper examines the nature of the Athenian jury courts, or dikasteries. It first discusses the historical…

Examines epigraphical evidence (written communication inscribed on durable material) to determine how the Amphiareion of Oropos in Greece became a site for rhetorical display, how such rhetorical activities were sustained for centures, and lastly, the nature of rhetorical displays as revealed by the extant written communication. (HOD)