Co-herencia, Vol. 17, No. 32 (2020) · 2020
Endoxa, Hypólepsis Parádoxos and Martyría in Aristotle’s Theory of Slavery
This paper initially discusses Aristotle’s theory of slavery in his Book I of Politics in an attempt to demonstrate the use of two procedures: a dialectic process, based on his discussion with Plato, and a rhetorical process, using metaphors and testimonies to set up an epistemological framework for his theory. Subsequently, this work focuses on an issue to be elucidated: the difference between endoxa, thesis (hypólepsis parádoxos), and testimony (martyría). In his description of the dialectical method in Topics, Aristotle explicitly states the meaning of “endoxa” and “thesis”. Furthermore, he discusses the term “testimony” in Books I and II of Rhetoric. Consequently, these two types of procedures, the types of proof, and the conclusions in his Book I of Politics will be identified based on the characteristics described in Topics and Rhetoric.