Rhetoric as Philosophy of Language. An Aristotelian Perspective

Abstract

This paper sustains that rhetoric can be a fruitful way of practicing philosophy of language. The starting point is a suggestion drawn from the work of the Italian philosopher Roberto Esposito. According to Esposito, one of the main characteristics of the italian thought is the focus on the necessary connection between language and extra-linguistic world. I argue that rhetoric (intended in an Aristotelian sense) thanks to its extra-linguistic aim (persuasion), pays particular attention to this connection. This has important consequences: 1. considering speakers and listeners as essential components of speech and assigning a key position to the listener; 2. including the sphere of emotion in the field of reflection on language; 3. considering truth as a social practice; 4. considering the agonistic dimension as a constitutive element of the speech.