Rhétorique et justice dans l’œuvre du philosophe néoplatonicien Proclus

In this article, I investigate the relationship between rhetoric and justice as it is presented in Proclus’ commentary of Plato’s dialogue Alcibiades I. The study is divided into three parts. In the first one, which is entitled “The political counsellor”, I elaborate how this institutional person, utilizing the possibilities of rhetoric, aims to exercise prudence to all those who intent to complete personally and politically themselves in the context of justice. In the second part, which is entitled “The refutation of the superficial syllogisms”, I focus on what rhetoric can provide to man so as to be able to think in a rational way when it comes to the precise content of justice as a moral and political virtue. In the third part, which is entitled “The justice and injustice and their relationship with benefit”, I discuss how rhetoric needs to be utilized in order to have new modes of connection of justice with benefit, excluding any beneficial criterion. The main conclusion that I draw is that according to Proclus rhetoric is for a political counsellor a tool of justice, which has to be the final purpose of his mission.