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A Feminist Praxis of Comparative Rhetoric

Why is a feminist praxis necessary for a comparative study of rhetoric? What would a feminist praxis of comparative rhetoric do? mean? be? What can we come to know with a feminist praxis of comparative rhetoric? Offering first a critique of the idea of a comparative approach through feminist theories challenging binary epistemology and metaphorical meaning making, this essay proceeds to theorize a feminist praxis of comparative rhetoric. This feminist praxis engages the study of histories and theories of rhetoric across cultures by analyzing along intersectional lines of power exposing injustices and exploring potential for equity, decolonizing knowledge, and deconstructing violence—physical, epistemic, and otherwise—towards abolition. Using the example of a comparative study in Gayatri Spivak’s critique of sati, and my own example of comparative study of story-telling in ancient Greek and ancient Hindu culture, this essay displays some of the many offerings of a feminist praxis of comparative rhetoric, namely equitable historiography and theory making in the study of rhetoric across cultures.