The rhetoric of Plato's Republic

Plato isn't exactly thought of as a champion of democracy, and perhaps even less as an important rhetorical theorist. In this book, James L. Kastely recasts Plato in just these lights, offering a vivid new reading of one of his most important works, 'The Republic'. At heart, Kastely demonstrates, this text is a democratic epic poem and pioneering work in rhetorical theory. Examining issues of justice, communication, persuasion and audience, he also uncovers a seedbed of theoretical ideas within it that resonate all the way up to our contemporary democratic practices.