Causes of Stagnation and Attempts at Renewal in Arabic Rhetoric: A Critical Analytical Study of Contemporary Rhetorical Scholarship

Jaber Ahmed Jaber., Ahmed

doi:10.21608/bfsgm.2025.443569

Causes of Stagnation and Attempts at Renewal in Arabic Rhetoric: A Critical Analytical Study of Contemporary Rhetorical Scholarship

Author

Ahmed Jaber Ahmed Jaber.

Azhar University

10.21608/bfsgm.2025.443569

Abstract

This study investigates the perceived stagnation in Arabic rhetorical studies, focusing on the critiques and analyses offered by contemporary scholars who have engaged seriously with this issue. These critiques often point to the shift of rhetoric from an intuitive and aesthetically rich discipline—grounded in subtle meanings and literary sensitivity—to one increasingly confined by logical, philosophical, and scholastic boundaries. Some recent treatments have further reinforced this stagnation by adopting Western theoretical frameworks and terminology, which risk displacing the organic appreciation of the Arabic rhetorical tradition.
Alongside these critiques, the study also highlights constructive efforts to revitalize rhetorical scholarship. It focuses on meaningful contributions by contemporary scholars whose work demonstrates a refined sense of rhetorical appreciation and a commitment to reinvigorating the field. These efforts reflect a deep awareness of the field’s challenges and an intent to recover rhetoric as a vibrant, interpretive, and culturally resonant discipline.
The study employs an inductive and analytical method, drawing on examples from both critical discourse and practical attempts at renewal.
Among its key findings is that modern scholars in the field are not only aware of the roots of rhetorical stagnation but are also actively proposing correctives. These include resisting the uncritical importation of foreign concepts, reassessing methodological foundations, and reasserting scholarly ethics as central to the study of rhetoric.
The study concludes by recommending a deeper investigation into the causes of stagnation in Arabic rhetorical discourse, the promotion of renewal efforts grounded in the tradition itself, and the recognition of contemporary scholarly contributions that seek to return rhetoric to its interpretive and aesthetic foundations.

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