Robert Bartlett, Behrakis Chair, Boston College, will be speaking on the topic, “Rhetoric and Democracy: Aristotle and the Practice of Persuasion.”

Many people complain about the decline of our public discourse, where glib sound bites substitute for real arguments. Nobody concerned about the fate of democracy could do better than consulting the teacher of rhetoric, Aristotle, to understand better both the promise and the perils of political rhetoric, the art of persuasive speaking. This lecture will consider Aristotle’s account of rhetoric and take up intriguing speeches as examples of democratic rhetoric at work.

Co-sponsored with the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Study of Core Texts and Ideas