Schiappa – Neo-Sophistic Rhetorical Criticism or the Historical Reconstruction of Sophistic Doctrines

Edward Schiappa – “Neo-Sophistic Rhetorical Criticism or the Historical Reconstruction of Sophistic Doctrines?” S. notes that he wants folks doing work with Sophistic argumentation and philosophy/rhetoric to be aware of two things when they are creating scholarship.  Specifically, he hopes to explore the methodological requirements that distinguish both neo-sophistic rhetorical theory and historical reconstruction (historiography) of sophistic... Read More

Poulakos – Rhetoric, The Sophists, and the Possible

John Poulakos – “Rhetoric, The Sophists, and the Possible” Summary:  This essay argues that the rhetoric of the Sophists exhibits a distinct preference for the world of possibility. As such, it is different from Aristotle’s rhetoric, which privileges the world of actuality. After showing how this is so, the essay compares the sophistical and the Aristotelian versions of rhetoric by discussing their respective implications for language... Read More

Poulakos – Toward a Sophistic Definition of Rhetoric

Poulakos, John. “Toward a Sophistic Definition of Rhetoric.” Philosophy & Rhetoric 16 (1983): 35-48. P. works in this article to highlight the integral role of the Sophists in the larger picture of classical Greek rhetoric.  Published in an era where Plato and Aristotle were kings of classical Greek poetics and rhetoric, P.’s argument in this article provides an alternative historical trajectory for contemporary treatments of ancient... Read More