Scholarly Contributions to the Development of Arabic Rhetorical Terminology and the Challenges of Reception and Interpretation A Study of Epistemic Authenticity and the Demands of Contemporary Renewal

Abstract

This study examines the evolution of Arabic rhetorical terminology and the semantic shifts it has undergone under the combined influence of the epistemic authority of the classical rhetorical heritage and the pressures exerted by imported modern critical approaches. It explores the epistemological crisis affecting contemporary rhetorical scholarship, which arises from the indiscriminate influx of foreign terminology and the lack of conceptual standardization across the Arab world. The study also highlights the role of context and pragmatics in the formation of rhetorical terminology, drawing on the theoretical contributions of Maghrebi and other contemporary Arab critics to establish a balanced dialogue between a purely aesthetic conception of rhetoric and a functional, argumentative perspective. Ultimately, it proposes a reconciliatory framework that integrates the demands of contemporary scholarship with the textual authenticity and epistemic foundations of the Arabic rhetorical tradition.