Friend and fellow philosopher-blogger Chris Long (Pennsylvania State University) has started a really interesting project that he’s calling “Socratic Politics in Digital Dialogue,” which is a series of philosophical conversations/interviews that Chris is making available as podcasts. (You can subscribe on iTunes by searching for “Digital Dialogues” under the podcast section.) This is a summer faculty fellowship project that Chris has undertaken with a few of his colleagues at PSU, and I really hope they decide to continue it beyond the summer. Followers of Chris’ blog no doubt are aware that he is really the model of a sensitive and reflective citizen, epitomizing the “think globally, act locally” adage that so many others champion, but fail to enact. Here is Chris’ description of his project:
In Plato’s dialogue Gorgias, Socrates claims to be one of the only Athenians who attempts the true art of politics. As is well known, Socrates haunted the public places in Athens looking for young people with whom he could converse. During these discussions, Socrates was intent on turning the attention of those he encountered toward the question of the good and the just. It is difficult to understate the lasting political power these dialogues have had over the course of time. Yet the emergence of social Web 2.0 technologies opens new possibilities for this ancient practice of politics, which Socrates fittingly called in the Gorgias, a “techne,” or art. “Socratic Politics in Digital Dialogue” is designed to explore the opportunities digital expression offers to enhance, deepen, expand and promote my academic scholarship in philosophy by focusing on issues related to the Socratic practice of politics.
Chris Long is really on the cutting-edge of pedagogical technology and, despite my endorsement of teaching naked a few days ago, I have admired Chris’ innovation and imagination from afar for a while now. This most reent addition to his bag of tricks is a winner. There are already several episodes available, including one on “Social Practice” with my friend, Michael Brownstein (Philosophy, New Jersey Institute of Technology) and one on “Identity and Anonymity” with my friend, Joshua Miller (aka Anotherpanacea). Both Michael and Josh were in grad school with me, and it’s great to hear about their exciting projects. I’m really looking forward to more from Chris’ Digital Dialogues series and highly recommend to readers of this blog.
I love the fact that he has framed this undertaking as an exercise in “Socratic politics,” which is an entirely fit description, in my view. Socrates, as we all know, could neither read nor write, so it is not hard to imagine him taking advantage of the forum that Chris is providing. And Chris, if you’re reading, how about this for an alternative title: “Skyping Socratic”? Togas optional, of course.