Plato, Aristotle, and Thucydides on Rhetoric and Democracy
Date Issued
2010
Date
2010
Author(s)
Hu, Chuan-wei
Abstract
What is the relationship between rhetoric and democracy? In a democracy, the political figures have to persuade people, thereby getting power or making decisions. However, the political orators often cater to the mass in order to win their votes, using passionate appealing, even deception. On the other hand, it is also impossible to imagine a meeting of thousands without the skill of rhetoric. Plato attacked rhetoric critically, but he also gave an ideal outline of rhetoric about its goal, contents, and ways of arguments. Aristotle defended rhetoric, precisely a kind of reformed rhetoric. He emphasized the importance of the character of the speaker, proper passionate appealing and logical arguments. Thucydides, author of History of the Peloponnesian War, enlisted many speeches addressing in the assembly or before a battle. Thucydides showed how the good and bad rhetoric had influenced the people and the development of the regime.
This dissertation is to introduce, analyze and discuss Plato, Aristotle and Thucydides’ views of rhetoric. I integrate them and set as a mode “Rhetorical Democracy”, which emphasize the persuasive process in a democracy. Then, I try to compare and contrast rhetorical democracy with deliberative democracy. For both modes of democracy pay more attention to the communication within the people. I contend that a) deliberative democracy shall not focus on the experimental, representative mini-publics, but on mass democracy; b) consider “persuasion” rather than “justification”; c) to communicate with rational and emotional appeal; d) rational consent sometimes means cultural hegemony; e) how to have a better judgment might be more realistic than a better deliberation. Finally, I conclude that a reformed rhetoric is necessary to a democracy.
Keywords: rhetoric, Plato, Aristotle, Thucydides, persuasion, deliberative democracy
Subjects
rhetoric
Plato
Aristotle
Thucydides
persuasion
deliberative democracy
SDGs
Type
thesis
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