Abstract

This study attempted to examine critically Molefi Asante's development of Afrocentricity through a rhetorical analysis of his philosophy as found in the texts Afrocentricity and The Afrocentric Idea. The review of literature focused on two sections both relating to Afrocentrism; section one primarily addressed material related to Afrocentrism in general, and section two focused on Asante's account of Afrocentricity. ;Using Burke's theory of dramatism by way of Conrad's three phase approach, this study employed statistical analysis , representational analysis, and pentadic analysis. Cluster analysis seeks to find the meanings that the key symbols have for the rhetor and the audience. This study identified three key terms based on their frequency in the text: Afrocentricity, Afrology, and Ideology/Reality. ;The second phase of Conrad's method involved identifying the representative anecdote that expresses a worldview, perspective, or ideology. The theme of the narrative that drives Asante's discourse is that the multiplicity of the human condition requires alternative modes of inquiry. ;The pentadic analysis found that the ratio of scene/purpose was the most significant of all the ratios in Asante's discourse. The scene stands for the situation to which all parts of the pentad respond. The purpose of Afrocentricity is thus to challenge the Eurocentric tradition without replacing it with another tradition; and to develop a perspective that speaks about the multiplicity of culture and experience that Eurocentrism historically has failed to consider. ;This study illuminated Asante's motives in the development of Afrocentricity through the use of identification with his audience. The analysis was grounded in the text; therefore, the interpretations were based on the language and vocabulary of Asante's own writings