Philosophy and rhetoric in Quintilian's 'Paideia' (Roman Empire)

Any reader of the Institutio Oratoria is bound to be struck by this text's most distinguishing feature: the emphasis on the morals of the ideal orator. While the notion of moral rhetoric as embodied in the character of the speaker is not unique among those who theorized about rhetoric in antiquity, in the pages of Quintilian it receives remarkable attention. Although many scholars have remarked on the ethical nature of Quintilian's treatise (it would indeed be difficult not to), I hope to contribute to our appreciation of his work by examining the parameters of the orator's morality in both theory and in practice.; Chapter 1 investigates what exactly the author means by 'philosophy,' and to what extent his opinions vary regarding philosophers of different periods, crucial considerations which have not always been observed in the scholarship on Quintilian. Chapter 2 focuses on the moral dimensions of the rhetorical education propounded in the Institutio by examining his use of moral philosophical vocabulary in various contexts; the nature of this paideia, as seen in its desired product, the ideal orator, is then examined. In Chapter 3 Quintilian's views on the ethical basis of rhetoric are viewed against the Greek tradition especially Plato, Isocrates, Aristotle, and the Stoics. Chapter 4 first outlines the establishment of rhetorical studies at Rome and examines early Roman views about the moral propriety of rhetoric, though the largest portion of this chapter focuses (not surprisingly) on Cicero, whose concept of the ideal orator is compared to Quintilian's. Here I also argue for the need to reconsider certain presuppositions about Cicero's own notion of the morality of the ideal orator. Next I treat comparatively the relationship between character and literary style as seen in our author and Seneca the Younger; this is shown to link up with the material on the virtues of speech discussed in Chapter 2. This study concludes by examining one particular ethical concern relating to the contemporary application of oratory: the immoral tactics of the delatores, who applied their oratorical prowess to destructive purposes.