Pattie Crider

WRT 305

Response 9

September 30, 2013

“The Good Man”

Quintilian criteria of a “good man” boiled down

            A “good man” in Quintilian thought, is a person who only speaks for matters of “justice, fairness and truth.” This person must be of high moral character and in no way have characteristics of a “bad man” removing the possibility that rhetoric could be called a deceptive art.

Quintilian teaching was often begun in the home of a child, the role of teacher falling to the mother. Historically, mothers are expected to be an excellent role model, and to begin a child’s formal teaching at home. Following a home-schooled beginning, a child began grammar school education under the close tutelage of exemplary professors. Rhetoric was an important part of education and children that showed promise were privately educated in “sermo” to ensure they were broadly knowledgeable on all topics and highly knowledgeable about their specific subject.

A person that is taught to fulfill the role of a “good man” from birth through adulthood in Quintilian theory would then be considered ethical. This is a great theory and perhaps a good way to measure the “good man” in this time period. This seems too romantic of a concept in modern time, proven over and over by the bad actions of our politicians.  If lawyers and politicians were held to this standard today, there would be no rhetors, because there are few of either that are found to have high morals, ethics or standards.