Thomas Aquinas on Persuasion Action, Ends, and Natural Rhetoric [Paperback]

The book is very good, and I learned a great deal about both Thomas and rhetoric.... Thomas Aquinas on Persuasion addresses originally, intelligently and lucidly a fundamental question within Thomistic psychology and linguistics from a rhetorical perspective: What is moving us to move ourselves and others through reason toward the flourishing life?This book is truly groundbreaking, insofar as nothing on the interface of natural law and rhetoric has been published in recent decades. Professor Maciejewski works comfortably with abstract principles in ethical theory, and analyzes their multiple relevant applications in the 'real world.' His analysis is unique in showing the ethical implications of the natural law of human sociality to the art/science of rhetoric.Professor Maciejewski offers a concise treatment of rhetoric as a natural and distinctively human capacity directed toward the good of working discursively with others to accomplish the human telos of living a shared humanity. The social nature of human beings defines rhetorics work on behalf of the good of living harmoniously in society, a defining element of human flourishing. Richly textured with scholarly references and practical examples, this volume integrates Aristotle, Aquinas, virtue ethics, and contemporary rhetorical theory to render an insightful and engaging treatment of the operation of rhetoric as internal self-persuasion and persuasion directed outwardly toward others to motivate virtuous human action.Thomas Aquinas on Persuasion: Action, Ends, and Natural Rhetoric reveals why human nature is dependent on an internally constituted form of persuasive discourse to bring about human action. This book puts forth that use of rhetorical discourse is natural to the human person and makes possible the fullest apprehension of human goods.This analysis of the human need to persuade offers a new, creative, application of Aristotelian essentialism to human discourse. Using Thomas Aquinass adaptation of eslS$