AIM Toolbox and Social Movement Theory

Karshner/Egyptian Rhetoric

1. “Ancient Egyptian concept of rhetorical magic as a practical wisdom that allows an individual to function fully within the boundaries established by a perceived cosmic order.
1. Rhetorical Magic that allows the individual to act within the boundaries established by a perceived cosmic power.
2. AI’s do this through dedication to their spirituality and use of it to guide their acts in AIM. “The movement is a spiritual movement foremost therefore all of AIM’s acts are done for spiritual (cosmic order)  good and reason.”
2. Ancient Egyptians applied rhetorical magic to ease the dissonance felt between intellectual engagement and the semiotically saturated cosmology in which they dwelt.
1. Karshner is claiming that Ancient Egyptians used rhetorical magic to cope with the conflict between their cosmic beliefs and intellectuality.
2. AIM uses their spiritual motivation to heal their dissonance with political agenda moves. Intellectually they want to address political dissonance and they will do that whatever way they need to and they ethically deal with this by putting their spirituality first. This relates to magical rhetoric as the AIM spirituality is the boundary in which they must act.
3. These same ancient rhetorical practices hold promise in assisting our own attempts to navigate a world inundated with information.
1. Ancient rhetorical practice still relate to our world today. AE rhetoric helps navigate a world inundated with information.
2. AIM could be considered a group that has seen many different generations of this world inundated with information and could be accused of navigating this through their magical spirituality rhetoric. Like leaning on their faith in hard times.  
4. What is more, these early philosophers saw that this world (individual and social) and the other (cosmological) operated according to the same principles.
1. Cosmological world operates the same as this individual and social world.
2. AIM’s cosmological world operates the same as the individual and collectivist world.
5. Through perception, the heart/mind would design an idea,the mouth would speak it and, as if by magic, the task would be accomplished.
1. Magically the task thought of in heart and mind would be done by the mouth.
2. This seems like simple cause and effect. You think and idea then take action. Which is what AIM does yes. Conceptually if this perception is saying that any minute detail of the movement will be achieved as if by magic and was just thought of in mind or heart its as if it is effortless and there is no resistance so then why be so passionate about the movement
6. Thoughtful, reasoned speech was the mechanism for re establishing the order that was manifested in the reasoned creation of the universe. Power and magic were a part of an individual’s very existence.
1. Reasoned speech is responsible for the established order of the universe.. Reestablished to what order was originally manifested. People are inherently made out of power and magic.
7. The rhetoric of Egyptian magic was based on the idea that deeper foundational truths were expressed in a highly figurative, mythical language as a means to avoid an anti foundational emphasis on language only.

8. Truth and the expression of truth were not seen as mutually exclusive. Maps to truth not truth itself. Magic, operating as an epistemic rhetoric, sought to reconnect the practitioner, through reasoned speech, to the ethical truth of the universal mind.
9. In short, it was intense individual effort directed toward the apprehension and expression of the seemingly inaccessible realm of the mystical that elevated the profane word to sacred truth in the end.

This is the perfect tool box to apply. Karshner is claiming that Ancient Egyptians used rhetorical magic to cope with the conflict between their cosmic beliefs and intellectuality. The AE’s did this through

Social Movement Analysis Commentary