John Locke and the epistemological foundations of Adam Smith's rhetoric

Abstract

John Locke's experiential‐based philosophy of knowledge provided the foundation for later epistemological‐psychological rhetorics associated with eighteenth‐century British rhetorical theory. Adam Smith's conception of rhetoric is one of the earliest contributions to eighteenth‐century rhetorical theory. This essay examines the epistemological assumptions guiding Smith's view of rhetoric and argues that Smith's philosophical commitments are grounded in the scientific, empiricist, and psychological tradition advocated by Locke. The theoretical relationship linking Locke with Smith helps illuminate the communicative characteristics of Smith's rhetoric as well as the evolution of modern rhetorical theory.