Thought, Utterance, Power:

Philosophy & Rhetoric Mar 2011

Edward Karshner Robert Morris University

Abstract

AbstractTo the ancient mind, magic was a powerful force to be subjected to or to control. Egypt, more than any other early culture, stressed the importance of intellectual agency as the antidote to the imperfection perceived between foundational thinking and anti-foundational speaking. Just as rhetoric seeks to express the conceptual ideal pursued by philosophical inquiry, these earlier thinkers stressed magical language as the key to unlocking the power of the cosmos. This article will explore the Ancient Egyptian concept of rhetorical magic as a practical wisdom that allows an individual to function fully within the boundaries established by a perceived cosmic order. The Ancient Egyptians applied rhetorical magic to ease the dissonance felt between intellectual engagement and the semiotically saturated cosmology in which they dwelt. These same ancient rhetorical practices hold promise in assisting our own attempts to navigate a world inundated with information.

Journal: Philosophy & Rhetoric
Published: 2011-03-01
DOI: 10.5325/philrhet.44.1.0052
Open Access: Closed
Topics: multimodality multilingual writers

Citation Context

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Cites in this index (1)

Covino (1995)

Magic, Rhetoric and Literacy: An Eccentric History of the Composing Process

College Composition and Communication

Also cites 3 works outside this index ↓

Burke, Kenneth. 1969a. A Grammar of Motives. Berkeley: University of California Press.

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Burke, Kenneth. 1969b. A Rhetoric of Motives. Berkeley: University of California Press.

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Morenz, Ludwig D. 2004. “Apophis: On the Origin, Name, and Nature of an Egyptian Anti-God.” Journal of Near E…

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