Rhetoric
Reading the works of Quintilian and Plato has changed the way I teach because their writings argue persuasively for the importance of understanding rhetoric as not merely the art of persuading others, but also the art of individual contemplation. Both thinkers have influenced my teaching profoundly, so I have included essays that present their views on the importance of using oratory contemplatively.
Quintilian
Knowledge for Quintilian is born of internal debate, while Cicero places greater importance on knowledge derived from political debate between individuals. By writing this essay, I realized the importance of using rhetoric in one's own thoughts in order to discover truth. For Quintilian, individuals debate what is right in their own minds, and then their actions lead to their own personal flourishing, which in turn leads to societal flourishing.
Quintilian's view of knowledge raises the status of literature in education because it makes the individual's private musings central to a well-functioning society.
I wrote this essay for a rhetoric class with Dr. Kathleen Lamp. Click the link below to access the essay.
Plato
In this essay by reflecting upon Plato's dialogue Phaedrus, the appeal and value of classical rhetoric is revealed. Unlike rhetorical theories with Marxist roots, Classical rhetoric does not limit the human person. Being offered the hope that by carefully considering what is good and then acting upon that notion while seeking to converse, dispute, and practice dialectic with whomever is put in one's path is not only the Socratic ideal, but also a restorative antidote to the hollow notion that an individual human person is a mere embodiment of an aggregate “social force.” Classical rhetoric offers the chance for one to be a manifestation of beauty.
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The essay was also written as a final reflection for Dr. Kathleen Lamp's Rhetoric class.
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