المتلقي في بلاغة الخداع : البلاغة السفسطائية أنموذجا

Abstract EN

There is no doubt that Ancient Rhetoric, based on philosophical concepts, has made a profound impact on rhetoricians of Ancient Greece.

Evidence of such an impact can be found in Plato’s and Aristotle’s rhetorical devices and theories.

However, the emergence of the Sophistical philosophy has had a bigger influence and provoked an irreversible change in rhetoric as it totally differs from its predecessor in terms of ideas, style and even objectives.

Indeed, the Sophists had a typical mode of persuasion commonly known as the Oratorical Style.

Such a style can be defined as a ‘‘Trickery’’ that is meant to transmit wrong and distorted ideas under the guise of art.

This explains why they used to use very beautiful forms of figurative language.

Obviously the Sophists’ initial aim was not to illuminate the receivers’ minds by showing them the real truth about the universe; on the contrary, all they ever wanted was to gain popularity by earning the receivers’ trust, who was supposed to naively believe in the nobility of their intentions, while in fact gaining power was their main target.

For more details about the evolution of the sophist rhetoric, we will address in our humble work the following issues: What are the main tenets of Greek Rhetoric? What goals do they fulfil? How was this latter presented to the receiver? What role does it attribute to him? What differences characterize the Sophist rhetoric from its remaining counterparts? Does it treat the receiver in the same way as in other types of rhetoric? If not so, how was he treated? What ways of address does it use with its receivers? And were they approved and accepted by Athenians in general?