Abstract: The articulation between delectare, movere et docere, which defines the objective of ancient and modern rhetoric has always implied a concept regarding the use of words in the formation of man, and, therefore, it established a close connection between rhetoric art and the art of education. The analysis of handbooks that became essential instruments for this education shows the existence of this connection, which occurs through the ability that words have to mobilize people regarding their body, psychic, and spiritual dynamism. In Brazil, the concept of the educational function of words is the foundation for the complete missionary practice of the Jesuits. Emphasis on this function takes into consideration the oral character of culture and its transmission, and the relevance assigned to the power of words by indigenous cultural traditions.

Keywords: rhetoric and education; Baroque; history of psychological knowledge; Brazilian culture in Modern Ages.

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