Re this point: "It would be no less accurate to describe rhetoric as the art of ineffective speaking or writing; speakers and writers are no less rhetorical if they fail."
Yes. Our first-semester composition course has been called "Effective Writing" for at least 23 years (that's how long I've been here), and even on the syllabus, I say, "I hate the title of this class because it implies there's such a thing as 'ineffective writing.' I don't believe any writing has _no effect_. It may not have the effect you wanted it to, but that's not the same thing." Once every two/three years, a student will mention that in an end of semester reflection or debrief, which is more often they mention any of the other meta stuff about the course.
Good stuff, Collin. I theorized rhetoric's obsession with the hand-wringing over disciplinary identity some years ago in JAC in a piece entitled "What Is Pedagogy?"
Re this point: "It would be no less accurate to describe rhetoric as the art of ineffective speaking or writing; speakers and writers are no less rhetorical if they fail."
Yes. Our first-semester composition course has been called "Effective Writing" for at least 23 years (that's how long I've been here), and even on the syllabus, I say, "I hate the title of this class because it implies there's such a thing as 'ineffective writing.' I don't believe any writing has _no effect_. It may not have the effect you wanted it to, but that's not the same thing." Once every two/three years, a student will mention that in an end of semester reflection or debrief, which is more often they mention any of the other meta stuff about the course.
Good stuff, Collin. I theorized rhetoric's obsession with the hand-wringing over disciplinary identity some years ago in JAC in a piece entitled "What Is Pedagogy?"