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Rhetoric as Propaedeutics to Philosophy - this is the upshot of the present study on philological aspects in the life and works of Francis Bacon, Thomas Hobbes, Rene Descartes and Baruch de Spinoza. Against the backdrop of a general historical setting, the book provides a detailed account of the different educational paths of the four philosophers as well as their attempts to continue rhetorical training during adulthood. Additional chapters on preferred language(s), reading habits, didactic aims and writing strategies produce further evidence for the hypothesis of a lifelong occupation with the classical art of argument and persuasion. It thus emerges that Rhetoric retains its relevance for the making of a philosopher in the Seventeenth century even among reformist and rationalist movements that are commonly portrayed as hostile to the classical tradition.
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Institutio Oratoria Brill’s Studies in Intellectual History General Editor A.J. Vanderjagt, University of Groningen Editorial Board C.S. Celenza, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore M. Colish, Oberlin College J.I. Israel, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton J.D. North, University of Groningen W. Otten, University of Chicago VOLUME 172 Institutio Oratoria Bacon, Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza Von Jan Rothkamm LEIDEN • BOSTON 2009 Cover illustration: “Allegory of Grammar” painted by Laurent de La Hyre (1650). Copyright: The National Gallery, London. This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Rothkamm, Jan. Institutio oratoria : Bacon, Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza / by Jan Rothkamm. p. cm. — (Brill’s studies in intellectual history, ISSN 0920-8607 ; v. 172) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-90-04-17328-6 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Philosophy, European— History—17th century. 2. Philosophers—Europe—History—17th century. 3. Rhetoric—Study and teaching. 4. Rhetoric—History—17th century. 5. Continuing education—Europe. I. Title. II. Series. B801.R68 2009 190.9’032—dc22 2008055175 ISSN 0920-8607 ISBN 978 90 04 17328 6 Copyright 2009 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands INHALTSVERZEICHNIS Danksagung ........................................................................................ Abkürzungen ...................................................................................... vii ix Einleitung ............................................................................................ 1 Kapitel I. Eingangssynchronopse 1561–1679 ................................ 9 Kapitel II. Institutio oratoria ............................................................. 85 Kapitel III. Méprise und Wertschätzung von Rhetorik— Rhetorikkonzeptionen ................................................................ 137 Kapitel IV. Stilpaten, Philologenfreunde ........................................ 223 Kapitel V. Bilingualismus .................................................................. 261 Kapitel VI.