ABSTRACT
This chapter takes up non-Western alternatives to the European rhetorical tradition, following a development often termed comparative rhetoric. It considers two examples of distinctly African rhetorical practices and explores some fascinating developments in China that occurred at around the same time as the Western tradition of rhetoric was taking shape. The African and Chinese examples suggest that the history and practice of rhetoric is richer and more complex than the Western tradition alone would indicate. Examples of ancient Egyptian, Aztec rhetoric and medieval Muslim contributions to rhetorical theory will be considered. Each discussion reflects the need to broaden our conception of rhetoric in response to cultural developments involving symbols, sources, and audiences. Writers like Jean-Francois Lyotard, Michel Foucault, Jacques Derrida; feminist critics such as Sally Miller Gearhart; and classicist George Kennedy have examined how rhetoric discovers, challenges, or preserve sources of power and knowledge. Studies of comparative rhetoric suggest a similar direction for the future of rhetorical theory and practice.
