Sly Mouths and Silver Tongues: the Dynamics of Psychological Persuasion in Ancient China
The philosophical adventure begins in ancient China with a clear consciousness of the power and the potential dangers deriving from the rhetorical use of words. In spite of all the efforts made by Confucius in order to subjugate discourse to an ethical code and to certify a strict and appropriate re...
Enregistré dans:
| Udgivet i: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/extremeorient, |
|---|---|
| Hovedforfatter: | |
| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Sprog: | Anglais |
| Udgivet: |
Extrême-Orient Extrême-Occident
2012
|
| Online adgang: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Summary: | The philosophical adventure begins in ancient China with a clear consciousness of the power and the potential dangers deriving from the rhetorical use of words. In spite of all the efforts made by Confucius in order to subjugate discourse to an ethical code and to certify a strict and appropriate relationship between names and deeds, the truth is that the Warring States period is characterized by the increasing intellectual and political influence of a new class of orators who, stripped of any moral attachment, consider persuasion from a purely strategic perspective. As in the art of war, as it was understood in early China, this kind of persuasion based on psychological skills needs malleability, adaptability, simulation and dissimulation; exhaustive knowledge about the adversary and, at the same time, impenetrable secrecy and opacity concerning one’s own intentions. In my paper, I will try to show the essential dynamics of these rhetorical techniques as well as some of the most relevant attempts to neutralize and evade the persuasive capacity of orators, diplomats and counsellors. |
|---|