Plato, Xenophon, and the Uneven Temporalities of Ethos in the Trial of Socrates

Philosophy & Rhetoric Oct 2021

Plato, Xenophon, and the Uneven Temporalities of Ethos in the Trial of Socrates

Collin Bjork Massey University

Abstract

ABSTRACT Many rhetorical theories of ethos mark their relationship with time by focusing on two temporal poles: the timely ethos and the timeless ethos. But between these two temporal poles, ethos is also durative; it lingers, shifts, accumulates, and dissipates over time. Although scholarship often foregrounds the kairotic and static senses of ethos popularized in Aristotle's Rhetoric, this article highlights how the chronic elements of ethos are no less important to rhetoric. By examining Xenophon's and Plato's representations of the trial of Socrates, this article contends that these competing views about the temporalities of ethos have a storied history that predates Aristotle's writings. This analysis also expands received understandings of Plato's contributions to rhetoric by illuminating how his view of ethos is deeply intertwined with ongoing philosophical practice. The article concludes by arguing that rhetorical studies has much to gain by more closely attending to the cumulative aspects of ethos.

Journal: Philosophy & Rhetoric
Published: 2021-10-01
DOI: 10.5325/philrhet.54.3.0240
Open Access: Closed
Topics: rhetorical theory argument

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

Cites in this index (4)

Jasso (2020)

AGrammaof Motives: The Drama of Plato's Tripartite Psychology

Philosophy & Rhetoric
(2018)

Virtue Ethics

Rhetoric Review
Holiday (2009)

In[ter]vention: Locating Rhetoric'sEthos

Rhetoric Review
Reynolds (1993)

Ethosas location: New sites for understanding discursive authority

Rhetoric Review

Also cites 13 works outside this index ↓

Amossy (2001)

“Ethos at the Crossroads of Disciplines: Rhetoric, Pragmatics, Sociology.”

Poetics Today ↗
Annas (2011)

Intelligent Virtue

↗
Burton (1999)

“The Speaker Respoken: Material Rhetoric as Feminist Methodology.”

College English ↗
Comfort (2000)

“Becoming a Writerly Self: College Writers Engaging Black Feminist Essays.”

College Composition and Communication ↗
Fitzgerald (2010)

“Spaces In-Between: Indigenous Women Leaders Speak Back to Dominant Discourses and Practi…

International Journal of Leadership Education ↗
Forster (2016)

“Karanga mai ra: Stories of Māori Women as Leaders.”

Leadership ↗
Gagarin (2012)

“Law, Politics, and the Question of Relevance in the Case on the Crown.”

Classical Antiquity ↗
Jasso (2019)

“Sympathy for the Devil: The Myth of Plato as the Enemy of Rhetoric.”

Rhetorica ↗
Kastely (2002)

“Respecting the Rupture: Not Solving the Problem of Unity in Plato’s Phaedrus.”

Philosophy and Rhetoric ↗
Kastely (2015)

The Rhetoric of Plato’s Republic: Democracy and the Philosophical Problem of Persuasion

↗
Lanni (2016)

Law and Order in Ancient Athens

↗
Lyon (2016)

Review of The Rhetoric of Plato’s Republic: Democracy and the Philosophical Problem of Pe…

Advances in the History of Rhetoric ↗
Miller (1974)

“Aristotle on Habit and Character: Implications for Rhetoric.”

Speech Monographs ↗

CrossRef global citation count: 1 View in citation network →