Erik Bengtson

I am a senior lecturer and associate professor of rhetoric, as well as the program coordinator for the Rhetoric Program: Society and Strategic Communication External link..

In recent years, my research has focused on green marketing communication, energy issues, climate rhetoric, and the intersection of law and rhetoric. At the same time, I maintain an interest in philosophical aspects of rhetoric and have explored issues related to rhetorical epistemology, post-truth, the history of rhetoric (particularly classical Greek rhetoric), and rhetorical argumentation theory.

Notable among my publications are the monographs The Epistemology of Rhetoric: Plato, Doxa and Post-Truth External link. (2024) and The Virtues of Green Marketing: A Constructive Take on Corporate Rhetoric External link. (2023). Both are available via open access. In these works, I examine, among other things, the epistemological foundations of rhetoric, the potential role of corporate rhetoric in sustainable development, and the interplay between rhetoric, ethics, and civic responsibility.

A particular research interest of mine is how Ernst Cassirer’s philosophy can contribute to a deeper understanding of what it means to be a rhetorical being, within the framework of a perspective often referred to as rhetorical anthropology. I have also studied the use of the concept of doxa in rhetoric research, the appropriation of the concept of intellectio in Swedish rhetorical discourse, Roland Barthes’ concept of myth, and, in recent years, the EU-initiated regulation of green marketing communication.

Overall, I am interested in how rhetorical perspectives can contribute to our understanding of us as human beings and contemporary societal challenges, and in particular how various forms of communication can promote more sustainable development.

I have published research in both Swedish and English, and I serve as the Swedish editor for the Nordic research journal Rhetorica Scandinavica External link.. In addition, I serve on the editorial board of the Nordic Encyclopedia of Rhetoric External link..

If you are interested about updates on my research, you are welcome to follow me on Linkedin External link..