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Politics of Sincerity:

Plato, Frank Speech, and Democratic Judgment

ISBN-13: 9780271033402
Publisher: PENN STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Imprint: PENN STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS
By Elizabeth Markovits
Price: AUD $67.99
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Availability: This book is temporarily out of stock, order will be despatched as soon as fresh stock is received.
Local release date: 14/10/2009
Format: Paperback 248 pages Weight: 0g
Categories: Politics & government [JP]

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Table of Contents

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A growing frustration with “spin doctors,” doublespeak, and outright lying by public officials has resulted in a deep public cynicism regarding politics today. It has also led many voters to seek out politicians who engage in “straight talk,” out of a hope that sincerity signifies a dedication to the truth. While this is an understandable reaction to the degradation of public discourse inflicted by political hype, Elizabeth Markovits argues that the search for sincerity in the public arena actually constitutes a dangerous distraction from more important concerns, including factual truth and the ethical import of political statements.

Her argument takes her back to an examination of the Greek notion of parrhesia (frank speech), and she draws from her study of the Platonic dialogues a nuanced understanding of this ancient analogue of “straight talk.” She shows Plato to have an appreciation for rhetoric rather than a desire to purge it from public life, providing insights into the ways it can contribute to a fruitful form of deliberative democracy today.

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. The Trouble with Being Earnest

2. Midwiving Socrates

3. Socratic Irony and the Art of Politics

4. Citizen Judgment and Myth in the Republic

5. Beyond Sincerity: Truth, Trust, and Judgment in Democratic Life

Bibliography

Index

“This book is well worth reading, especially for those who are interested in Plato’s teachings on democratic rhetoric, and especially for those interested in Gorgias.”

—Laurie M. Johnson Bagby, Review of Politics

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Politics of Sincerity:

Plato, Frank Speech, and Democratic Judgment