Figurativeness and argumentation in ethics

Philosohpy as rhetoric

Abstract

Philosophy has been defined in many ways. One of them warns that philosophical knowledge must bring about a change in our lives. We philosophize to live better. In this paper I want to show that, based on this definition, then philosophy must be rhetorical. Two directions takes, here, my analysis. On the one hand, it wants to highlight the ineffectiveness of the philosophical argument to achieve this end (basically because the argument is handled in a certain vital distance). The other side of this criticism says that, in order to become wiser, we must modify our emotions and affections. This supposes a modification of our way of perceiving the world, of installing ourselves in it. And, to achieve this, we need to keep some closeness, and therefore, must appeal to figurative, metaphorical, symbolic, rhetorical language.