In his post, Rick mused,
"Perhaps this dialogue more than others makes me wonder what Plato is saying about himself and his view of philosophy and education."
I reposted it here because my own thoughts follow from this same idea. As I read the section in Phaedrus on rhetoric and writing, I was surprised to see how much of the ideas about composing (I am purposely avoiding the term "writing.") are echoed in our actual classrooms today. I am not so much surprised by the similarities in the structure of writing (see, for example 266 d and e), but as I read the portion about oration--where Socrates claims we ought to teach only those who know the soul, that we should muse out loud through dialectic, so that we can be questioned and answered.
I have several thoughts, all related to what Socrates (or I'd argue Plato) says about rhetoric:
--We are all getting (or already have) Doctors of Philosophy.
--Our classes consist of musing, questioning, speaking, answering, and, often for the teacher, revealing some kind of "truth" about the subject.
--I heard Danielle talking with someone in lit about guided readings and she said that in Rhet/Comp we don't traditionally do guided readings. In explaining why, she basically was saying that guided readings don't allow for dialectic exchange.
--Here at Purdue, at least, we're consistently asked to produce writing that will at some point enter public discussion, with consideration of the public sphere.
--Only the "right" people are allowed in--the decision process is rigorous, but the faculty certainly wouldn't allow someone who is unqualified to come here.
Now that I've said this, I've been thinking also, about the Internet and its ability to dialectacize (yes, i made that word up) writing. In some cases, it seems like email, IM chat, online blogs allow for a question and answer that other types of solitary writing might not allow for. But, for example, in the course of this class, the online dialectic seems to me to be devoid of the kind of Q & A we get from class. Is this because there's a lack of Kairos--of not having a sense that--oh, now's the right time to jump in?