On Cicero's Sensus Communis: Common Sense in the Social Laboratory of Rhetoric
Journal
Journal of Social and Political Philosophy
ISSN
2752-7514
Type
journal-article
Date Issued
2026-02
Author(s)
Abstract
This article reconstructs Cicero's original contribution to the concept of sensus communis by situating it within Roman rhetorical practice and Cicero's broader social philosophy. Departing from Aristotle's objectoriented and truth-seeking model of rhetoric, Cicero redefines rhetorical activity as a socially embedded, audience-oriented practice aimed at securing the welfare of the state. This shift transforms the rhetor into an orator-statesman whose task is not simply to discover truth, but to mobilise the shared norms, emotions, and expectations of the community. The article argues that Cicero's understanding of sensus communisa socially produced horizon of shared norms, feelings, and ways of actingfunctions as a communal precondition for persuasive public reasoning. By analysing Cicero's four personae in De Officiis, the study shows how Cicero anticipates a theory of collective subjectivity in which individuality emerges from the interplay of reason, singularity, circumstance, and judgement. Through close readings of Pro Plancio and De Oratore, the article ultimately presents sensus communis as both a mode of social belonging and a medium of self-determination within communal life.
Language
English (United States)
Keywords
Cicero
sensus communis
Roman rhetoric
collective subjectivity
social philosophy
political philosophy
social and political philosophy
political theory
theories of subjectivity
common sense
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Edinburgh University Press
Volume
5
Number
1
Start page
26
End page
41
Division(s)
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
open.access
Name
Telios_On Ciceros Sensus Communis_Common Sense in the Social Laboratory of Rhetoric_JSPP_5_1_26_41.pdf
Size
280.42 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
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