Philosophy: 'the study of the fundamental
nature of knowledge, reality, and existence'.
Rhetoric: 'the art of effective or persuasive
speaking or writing'.
There's nothing like a good book.
But when it comes to define concepts like
philosophy or rhetoric, a dictionary IS nothing
like a good book .... The definitions I have
just read out suggest that philosophy and
rhetoric are fundamentally different pursuits.
In Greek and Roman antiquity, one could argue
that all philosophy was rhetorical.
All philosophy consisted in an attempt to
persuade the audience.
All philosophy, on one level, was dialogue.
In this module, we will study some of the
most interesting and most fundamental foundational
texts of rhetoric and philosophy, that have
come down to us from the 5th and 4th century,
at the height of Greek culture: texts that
have defined for us, and for all the centuries
intervening between those times and ours,
what philosophy and rhetoric are.
