The critique of rhetoric in Plato and Saint Augustine: Gorgias, De magistro and de Doctrina Christiana I, II, III

Abstract

This article examines the critiques of rhetoric in the thought of Plato and Saint Augustine, arguing that, although they arise from distinct historical and philosophical horizons, both reject the claim that persuasive discourse can be autonomous. In the Gorgias, Plato problematizes rhetoric in its political dimension and argues that, since it lacks knowledge of its object and a rational account of its procedures, it cannot be recognized as a genuine art (tekhne), but must instead be reduced to the sphere of experience and flattery. In Augustine, especially in De magistro and in books I, II, and III of De doctrina christiana, the critique shifts toward the insufficiency of signs and the subordination of language to the truth taught by the Inner Teacher. Thus, the article argues that, in both authors, the legitimacy of discourse depends on its relation to truth and on its orientation toward a higher end, which prevents rhetoric from presenting itself as an autonomous and morally indifferent technique.