The critical servant: An isocratean contribution to critical rhetoric

The critical rhetoric project at present lacks a strong understanding of the relationship between the critical rhetor and the audience. This essay suggests that the writings of Isocrates offer an example for and an extension of the critical rhetoric project. Isocrates's combination of critique and service urges rhetors to act as critical servants. By combining community history, critical possibilities, and rhetorical performance, the critical servant strives to arrive at a contingent good submitted for the acceptance of the community. The critic's reading, interpreting and remaking of the community's history reunites the individual and the social, theory and practice, critique and service.