Isocrates’ Political Science

Polis 41 (3):389-410 (2024)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

This article argues that despite Aristotle’s criticism of him, Isocrates does not actually hold the belief that political science, or universal knowledge of practical affairs, is impossible. When he appears to express this view, he is using hyperbole to distinguish himself from his adversaries. In reality, while he certainly underscores the significance of particular cases and doxa, he also claims to possess insights into universal principles concerning politics. He does so on the ground of philosophical arguments characterized by their consistency, sophistication, and substantive nature. These arguments are robust enough to be structured into a coherent system of principles akin to a political science in the Aristotelian sense of the term – although Isocrates himself never elaborated this science in a clear and systematic manner. The objective of this article is twofold: first, to defend this unconventional interpretation of Isocrates’ political speeches, and second, to offer a systematic analysis of the implicit political science within them.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive

    This entry is not archived by us. If you are the author and have permission from the publisher, we recommend that you archive it. Many publishers automatically grant permission to authors to archive pre-prints. By uploading a copy of your work, you will enable us to better index it, making it easier to find.

    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 102,589

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Isocrates' Use of doxa.Takis Poulakos - 2001 - Philosophy and Rhetoric 34 (1):61 - 78.
Gorgias and Isocrates’ Grave.Marco Gemin - 2018 - Peitho 9 (1):31-35.
Practical Philosophical Politics in Plato and Isocrates.Tarik Wareh - 2003 - Dissertation, University of California, Berkeley
Searching for Boredom in Ancient Greek Rhetoric.Kristine Bruss - 2012 - Philosophy and Rhetoric 45 (3):312.
Isocrates, Plato, and Aristotle on Rhetoric.Chloe Balla - 2004 - Rhizai. A Journal for Ancient Philosophy and Science 1:45-71.
The political philosophy of Pierre Manent: political form & human action.Joseph R. Wood - 2024 - Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press.
Aristotle's Politics.Pierre Pellegrin - 2012 - In Christopher Shields (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Aristotle. Oxford University Press USA.

Analytics

Added to PP
2024-09-26

Downloads
9 (#1,547,896)

6 months
9 (#419,440)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references