What does it mean to write? What is the difference, if any, between philosophical and literary modes of writing? If it is true, as some have claimed, that a myth is deposited into our language, can there be philosophy without literature? And, vice versa, if philosophy positions us in the world, can there be a literature that is not, at least to some degree, philosophical? If it is true that philosophy, like literature, began as an oral enterprise, why has it become a primarily written? Furthermore: who can write what? Is there a gender in writing or a gendered way of writing? Can (or should) women write (and what)? And what about other subaltern? Admitting that they can speak, can (or should) they also write? If so, what and for whom? In sum, what is the meaning, and the politics, of such boundaries drawing? This seminar will tackle those issues through a close readings of classical texts on the topic.