English: Essay
Rhetorical alchemy is a compound word comprising rhetorical and alchemy. Rhetoric is a Latin word originated in 1470-80, and it means “the art or science of all specialized literary uses of language in prose or verse, including the figures of speech. It also means the study of effective use of language or ability to use language effectively. Rhetorical is an adjective of rhetoric which means concerned with mere style or effect. Alchemy is an Arabic, French and Latin word originated in 1325-1375. Alchemy means any magical process of transmuting an ordinary substance into a valuable substance. Together rhetorical and alchemy form a compound word that has varied meaning and cover a wide scope. Apparently, the rhetorical alchemy stands for the transformation of things from bad form to good shape through effective use of language.
Alchemy is a form of speculative philosophy and chemistry practiced during the renaissance and middle-ages, and dealt with finding the methods of transforming common metals into the gold and finding the elixir of life. Alchemy has several philosophical versions spread over three continents and a period of four ages. Alchemy has cryptic and symbolic language therefore it is hard to trace its relationship with the traditions. There are three major thread that largely appear to be independent in their early stages. Chinese alchemy is revolves around China and China’s cultural zone of influence, and closely related to Taoism Indian alchemy revolves around the sub-continent and it is related to Dharmic beliefs. Western alchemy happened around the Mediterranean Sea and shifted from Romans to the Islamic world and then to the Europe. It is influenced by the western religions. The three threads are not known to share a common origin as it remains a question unanswered. The history of alchemy has recently become the recognized subject of academic studies. The language of the chemists are being analyzed, understood and intellectual connection is established between the discipline and philosophy. As the literature about alchemy was complex and obscure, therefore, the alchemist practitioners disappeared in the fields of chemistry. Traditional medication occasionally involves the use of natural substances using a mix of spiritual and pharmacological methods. Psychologists have analyzed the alchemical symbols and declared these as spiritual things. Alchemy also has a long lived relationship with the art in both the contexts of alchemy and entertainment. Literary alchemy appears throughout in the English literature from the times of Shakespeare to the modern novelists and writers.
In order to understand alchemy, consider the composition of a paper as a form of alchemy. The paper is the final product, a composition of thoughts and opinion, writing down the stray thoughts on to a piece of paper and re-arranging the thoughts into a logical sequence. All the experiences of life, ideas, knowledge combined together to compose the paper. Writing is the process whereby raw material is transmuted into textual gold.
The word rhetorical alchemy has been used in different context in the recent period. The most recent used word rhetorical alchemy is by the writer Andrew Pojecki in his book “Rhetorical Alchemy: American Exceptionalism and the War on Terror.” The book is published in 2008 by Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. The book is related to political communication as dictated by the name rhetorical alchemy. It covers the American war on terror, the American exceptionalism and the American neo-conservative foreign policy, framing and editorial policy. The writer talks about the neoconservative foreign policy of the United States for the war on terror and compares it with two other models of well-known foreign policies. The writer argues that the United States foreign policy is a mix of realist and liberalist theory of international relations to justify United States supremacy at the time of favored public opinion. In order to create public support for the kind of foreign policy, the United States administration used variety of means to project the image of United States as a federation with unique ethical and institutional qualities that separates the United States from other countries of the world. It gives America an exceptional edge and American exceptionalism has convinced the media morally to project the war on terror and unilateral military action as a just cause. The author discusses the United States administration’s mechanism used in getting public support for the foreign policy after 9/11 and for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and meddling in the affairs of other countries as a super power. The author talks about the abuse suffered by the prisons in Iraqi Jail of Abu Ghuraib, and highlights that such pictures are painfully embarrassing for the American people. The author questions the existence of moral component of American politics, and the exceptionalism granted to United states for waging wars against countries with the intent of bringing democracy to the countries and committing embarrassing crimes such as Abu Ghuraib prison. The writer of the book also talks about the book, “The End of History and The Last Man” and the theory proposed by the writer Fukuyama. The liberal democracy and the market capitalism has resolved the problem of human dignity as the formation of a cosmopolitan and homogeneous state was the ultimate end state to the completion of history.
The book covers the comments by critics of American exceptionalism. The United States has a different ideological origins as compared to all other nations of the world. American political culture is not based on individuality but collectively defines the American exceptionalism. The importance of liberty and rights of individuals are most important part of American political culture. A deeper look in to the foreign policy proclaimed in the National Security Strategy discloses its unwavering impact on the United States rhetorical approach on two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The administration created tactics and devised concepts that predicted or responded to media projected foreign policy accepted belief and took help of their approval of the standards and principles describing American exceptionalism.
Rhetorical alchemy in the book has been used in the sense of use of language to make the people understand the aspects of foreign policy as per the conceived plan of the United States’ administration. The use of language through media in United States in accordance with the rhetoric applied by the US foreign policy. In both the wars of Afghanistan and Iraq, it was American exceptionalism that played the major role and helped achieving the most important public opinion. In this particular context of the book, Rhetorical alchemy means the role of United States administration and media in creating the rhetoric about the wars among the public and then waging unilateral wars against Afghanistan and Iraq. The word rhetorical alchemy has been used as a symbol for creation of war rhetoric by the media and United States administration, tilting the public opinion by creating fear among the public and then going for wars. In general, the rhetorical and the alchemy stand apart.
Work Cited
Pojecki, Andres. Rhetorical Alchemy: American Exceptionalism and the War on Terror. 2008. Web. 16 June. 2014.
Please write an essay about Rhetorical Alchemy. Start off by defineing the words and explaining it. After that please give a few examples.no cover pageif you dont want to then dont use a sourse!!!!
