The Power of Persuasion. Rhetoric, Common Judgment and Machiavelli in Hobbes
In this article, I explore the elusive function of rhetoric as a means to political pacification. With particular reference to Hobbes’s doctrine of the prophetic foundation of commonwealths, I contend that public persuasion, while being in most cases subversive and harmful, can sometimes cultivate m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Bologna
2019-06-01
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| Series: | Scienza & Politica |
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| Online Access: | https://scienzaepolitica.unibo.it/article/view/9615 |
| Summary: | In this article, I explore the elusive function of rhetoric as a means to political pacification. With particular reference to Hobbes’s doctrine of the prophetic foundation of commonwealths, I contend that public persuasion, while being in most cases subversive and harmful, can sometimes cultivate men and make them more sociable. I purport thereby to qualify Hobbes’s denunciation of the seditious character of persuasion, and to question his alleged depreciation of common judgment as intrinsically gullible and passive. I argue in conclusion that there is more continuity on this score between Hobbes and Machiavelli than usually acknowledged, but also that this affinity threatens the unity of Hobbes’s argument. |
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| ISSN: | 1590-4946 1825-9618 |