Vir Bonus, Dicendi Peritus Quintilianus Philosophical aspects of "good man"

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explain Quintilian's doctrine of vir bonus in the light of Platonism. The two are
linked by important themes that run through the discussion of rhetoric: the inseparability of wisdom, goodness, eloquence and
moral stability. It is because of these two themes that the doctrine of vir bonus has become important for modern discussions,
the ethics of rhetoric. Plato and Quintilian differ in defining goodness and justice. Plato sees them more as matters of inner
state (soûl), while Quintilian sees them more in terms of public behavior and reputation, but for both there are conceptual
connections between rhetoric and justice that preclude the possibility of a morally neutral conception of rhetoric. For both,
rhetoric is "speaking well," and for both, "speaking well" means speaking fairly. Such was Marcus Fabius Quintilianus - a good
man himself, who not only spoke well, but also wrote well.