The Rhetoric as a Prolegomenon to Aristotelian Political Psychology
The primary purpose of this paper is to show how the simpler psychology of the Rhetoric is helpful for understanding the deeper psychology of the Nicomachean Ethics. In particular, I focus on what rational and emotional appeals say about the psychology of persuasion, and how this psychology helps explain key aspects of the psychology of the Ethics. I conclude by considering the implications this psychology has for the Ethic's teaching on virtue and moral education