This study reconstructs the Hellenistic philosophical debate on rhetoric. In the heterogeneous source situation, Liebersohn succeeds in distinguishing two phases in the debates about the value of rhetoric and two types of debates: one within philosophy and one between philosophers and rhetors The exact environment of this dispute (ie: the locations, dates and people, is then examined). Five main arguments against rhetoric are then reconstructed, all of which are based on the claim of rhetoric to be one of the arts. nf counter arguments are: the exclusivity of teaching argument; the falsa argument; the benefit argument; the end argument; the materia argument.