Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to search

Political Science History & Theory

The Politics of Eloquence

David Hume's Polite Rhetoric

by (author) Marc Hanvelt

Publisher
University of Toronto Press
Initial publish date
Mar 2012
Category
History & Theory, Political, General
  • Hardback

    ISBN
    9781442643796
    Publish Date
    Mar 2012
    List Price
    $67.00
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781442696952
    Publish Date
    Mar 2012
    List Price
    $57.00

Classroom Resources

Where to buy it

Description

History has shown us that the power of political speech can be put to both positive and manipulative ends - while rhetoric is a powerful tool for those who seek to persuade others to adopt their views, it can also be employed to foment factionalism and undermine the very basis of a democratic society. In this unique study, Marc Hanvelt shows how eighteenth-century philosopher David Hume confronted questions about the negative moral and political effects of rhetoric, and how he differentiated between manipulative and non-manipulative political speech.

Drawing on Hume's philosophical, historical, and popular writings, The Politics of Eloquence presents an understanding of rhetoric that can be properly ascribed to this important thinker, an understanding hitherto overlooked in the scholarly literature. Offering an original approach to thinking about political rhetoric – an essential element of democratic politics – Hanvelt makes important contributions to both Hume scholarship and to broader areas in political theory and philosophy.

About the author

Marc Hanvelt is an adjunct research professor in the Department of Political Science at Carleton University.

Marc Hanvelt's profile page