Overview
- Makes a significant contribution to the study of rhetoric in poltical theory
- Creates a dialogue between historical political theorists and twentieth-century thinkers
- Combines the fields of philosophy, political theory and rhetoric studies
Part of the book series: Rhetoric, Politics and Society (RPS)
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Table of contents (7 chapters)
Keywords
- political theory and rhetoric
- philosophy and rhetoric
- Plato and rhetoric
- Aristotle and rhetoric
- Cicero and rhetoric
- Quintilian and rhetoric
- humanist tradition
- Arendt and rhetoric
- Strauss and rhetoric
- Rorty and rhetoric
- contemporary political theory
- history of political thought
- rhetoric studies
- political philosophy
- transcendence and politics
- cotingency and politics
- postmodern theorists
- democracy theorists
- limits of rationalism
About this book
This book explores the significance of rhetoric from the perspective of its complex relationship with philosophy. It demonstrates how this relationship gives expression to a basic tension at the core of politics: that between the contingency of its happening and the transcendence toward which it strives.
The first part of the study proposes a reassessment of the ancient quarrel between philosophy and rhetoric, as it was discussed by Plato, Aristotle, and above all Cicero and Quintilian, who ambitiously attempted to bring them together creating an ideal that is at the roots of the humanist tradition. It then moves to twentieth-century political theory and shows how the questions that emerge from that quarrel still strongly resonate in the works of key thinkers such as H. Arendt, L. Strauss, and R. Rorty.
The volume thus offers an original contribution that locates itself at the intersection of politics, rhetoric, and philosophy.
Reviews
“In a stimulating and original analysis of Plato and Aristotle, Cicero and Quintilian, as well as Leo Strauss, Richard Rorty and Hannah Arendt, Ballacci has provided us a fresh and penetrating interpretation of the perennial debate between philosophy and rhetoric. His is an essential reading for scholars and students in political theory, rhetoric and intellectual history.” (Benedetto Fontana, Baruch College and Graduate Center/CUNY, USA)
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Giuseppe Ballacci is Research Fellow at the University of Minho, Portugal. He has held visiting positions in many institutions, including Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, KU Leuven, Université Libre de Bruxelles, University of Chicago, and New School for Social Research. His areas of interest are Contemporary Political Theory, History of Political Thought, and Rhetoric.
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Political Theory between Philosophy and Rhetoric
Book Subtitle: Politics as Transcendence and Contingency
Authors: Giuseppe Ballacci
Series Title: Rhetoric, Politics and Society
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-95293-9
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan London
eBook Packages: Political Science and International Studies, Political Science and International Studies (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-349-95292-2Published: 18 December 2017
Softcover ISBN: 978-1-349-95788-0Published: 30 August 2018
eBook ISBN: 978-1-349-95293-9Published: 28 November 2017
Series ISSN: 2947-5147
Series E-ISSN: 2947-5155
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: VIII, 215
Topics: Political Theory, Political Philosophy, Political Communication, Political History