John Dewey and rhetorical theory

Abstract

ANY SPEECH TEXTBOOKS, if not most of them, written in the twentieth century, have some reference to the work of John Dewey. However, these references do not necessarily indicate that the influence of Dewey's ideas has been extensive. Often, the textbook writer has turned to Dewey for support or amplification of an idea derived from numerous other sources. It does not appear certain that Dewey has yet had great influence on rhetorical theory. What is more certain is that Dewey's work is more applicable than has generally been realized. Rather than discuss the influence Dewey has or has not had on rhetorical theory, I shall consider the implications of particular aspects of his philosophy for the student of rhetoric. Aspects of Dewey's thought to be considered are his view of communication as the means of developing the mind, his theory of motivation with its implications for persuasion, his treatment of logic as a theory of inquiry, and his concern for scientific method and its ethical implications as realized in a democracy.Dewey was much aware of the close relationship of speech and thought, of communication as the essential means by which intelligence develops. His frequent references to communication-he calls it the most wonderful of all affairs-and the significance he attributes to communication remind one of Isocrates' hymn to logos. Students of classical rhetoric are familiar with that passage in which Isocrates points out that while in most of our abilities we are inferior to lower animals, our ability to speak makes possible our ascendance over them. Dewey would have agreed with Isocrates, I think, that logos or speech is the basis for civilization, and that "none of the things which are done with intelligence take place without the help of speech." 1 Although Dewey does not appear to have referred directly to that passage of Greek literature, he does observe that classical thought and its survival in later idealisms was more aware than was early empirical

The Essence of Education in the Perspective of John Dewey

“…(4) In the past, experience was limited to specificity, but now experience is under the control of the environment and a struggle to distance it. (5) In the traditional view, experience and thought are antithetical problems, but experience based on contemporary understanding is full of conclusions where, in reality, there is no real experience without conclusions, natural and constant reflection (Burks, 1968). Good and experience-based education must consider the interests, habits, desires, curiosity, initiative, and freedom of individual learners as subjective realities.…”