In this provocative new book, Edward Schiappa argues that rhetorical theory did not originate with the Sophists in the fifth century B.C.E., but developed nearly a century later. Closely examining the terminology of early rhetorical history, Schiappa not only revises the way we understand that history but also contends we must alter the way we read both the Sophists and Aristotle and Plato.

This book brings together essays that demonstrate the art of argument evaluation. The essays apply a variety of theoretical approaches to specific, historically-situated arguments in order to render a specific normative judgment. By bringing to bear knowledge of argumentation theory along with expertise pertaining to the specific arguments under investigation, this book illustrates the utility of argument evaluation as a discrete mode of scholarly engagement.

In "Defining Reality, "Edward Schiappa argues that definitional disputes should be treated less as philosophical questions of is " "and more as sociopolitical questions of ought. Instead of asking What is X? he advocates that definitions be considered as proposals for shared knowledge and institutional norms, as in What should count as X in context Y, given our needs and interests? Covering a broad scope of argument in rhetorical theory, as well as in legal, medical, scientific, and environmental debates, Schiappa shows the act of defining to be a specialized and learned behavior, and...

Protagoras and Logos brings together in a meaningful synthesis the contributions and rhetoric of the first and most famous of the Older Sophists, Protagoras of Abdera. Most accounts of Protagoras rely on the somewhat hostile reports of Plato and Aristotle. By focusing on Protagoras's own surviving words, this study corrects many long-standing misinterpretations and presents significant facts: Protagoras was a first-rate philosophical thinker who positively influenced the theories of Plato and Aristotle, and Protagoras pioneered the study of language and was the first theorist of rhetoric. In...

This volume's purpose is to provide students and scholars of classical rhetoric with a set of exemplary works in the area of Greek rhetorical theory. Many of the articles included here are not easily accessible and have been selected with the intent of providing graduate and undergraduate students with a useful collection of secondary source materials. This book is also envisioned as a useful text for scholars who will benefit from having these sources more readily available. Scholarship in classical Greek rhetorical theory typically is aimed at one of these two goals: * Historical...

This book contributes to the history of classical rhetoric by focusing on how key terms helped to conceptualize and organize the study and teaching of oratory. David Timmerman and Edward Schiappa demonstrate that the intellectual and political history of Greek rhetorical theory can be enhanced by a better understanding of the emergence of terms of art in texts about persuasive speaking and argumentation. The authors provide a series of studies to support their argument. They describe Plato s disciplining of dialgesthai into the Art of Dialectic, Socrates alternative vision of philosophia, and...