Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book investigates Chinese logograms written on centuries-old materials of bones, tortoise shells, as well as bronze wares, to establish the fact that recorded Chinese rhetorical ideas originated from the Shang dynasty instead of the spring and Autumn and the warring states periods. It introduces momentous works in Chinese rhetoric and leading figures who contributed to Chinese rhetoric, such as pre-Qin scholars. The book highlights the features of rhetoric on Yuan Qu, enlivens the positive sides of Chinese Eight-Legged Essays not shared by the West, and sheds further light on its lasting influence on rhetoric and composition.