Rhetoric: The Ancient Egyptian Origin of a Distinctly Human Trait

Ababio, Kofi, The Journal of Pan African Studies (Online)

Abstract

In this paper, my overall claim is that we can trace the origins of rhetoric as an ethical prerogative to the ancient Egyptians (hereafter aEs), and second, argue that rhetoric is a wholly and distinctly human trait not traceable to some speculative animal evolutionary heritage. This position follows, in part, from the emergence of humans before animals in ancient Egyptian mythology and also from the emergence of rhetoric as a feature of human life especially evident and characteristic of complex hierarchical societies such as the civilization of the aEs. In essence, I suggest that rhetoric stands as the original 'third instance' that resolves a thesis and anti-thesis …

Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information: Article title: Rhetoric: The Ancient Egyptian Origin of a Distinctly Human Trait. Contributors: Ababio, Kofi - Author. Journal title: The Journal of Pan African Studies (Online). Volume: 1. Issue: 6 Publication date: December 2006. Page number: 109+. © Itabari Zulu Dec 2008. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.