CONTEMPORARY SOPHISTICS BETWEEN RHETORIC, PERSUASION, AND MANIPULATION
CONTEMPORARY SOPHISTICS BETWEEN RHETORIC, PERSUASION, AND MANIPULATION

Summary/Abstract: The article examines “contemporary sophistics” at the intersection of rhetoric, persuasion, and manipulation, proposing a critical clarification of the boundaries among these practices. Starting from the classical opposition Socrates–the Sophists (maieutics vs. techniques of success), it shows how the sophistic tradition inaugurated critical spirit and discursive plurality, while also revealing how, in today’s arenas (political, legal, media, digital), the same resources can become tools of manipulation. The Aristotelian triad ethos–pathos–logos and the ethical criteria of legitimate persuasion (transparency, respect for autonomy, verifiability) are discussed in dialogue with contemporary contributions (Cialdini, Kelman, Breton, Mucchielli, Perelman). The anthropological dimension (Mauss, Lévi-Strauss) and insights from psychology/neuroscience explain the social and cognitive bases of influence. In applied terms, the paper argues for responsible rhetoric in the legal sphere (including the Belgian context), where emotion must be calibrated by evidence and reasoning. The conclusion maintains that sophistics is not reducible to deceit: it offers an analytical framework for distinguishing ethical persuasion from manipulation and for grounding a culture of public discourse based on rigor, empathy, and responsibility.

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