Rhetorical Leadership

Cicero called Isocrates "the father of eloquence" and said that from his school proceeded giants who had an enormous influence on Athenian society and Greek culture, but he is often overlooked in histories of rhetoric and philosophy. In this episode, Richard Enos and David Isaksen discuss his contributions to the philosophy and teaching of rhetoric. Positioning himself between the philosophers and the sophists, Isocrates developed a school of wisdom joined with eloquence for the benefit of a democratic society.