Blending Emotions and Attitude: The Rhetoric of ‘Nipa’ as Represented in the African Conception of Personhood.

Abstract:

The normative concept of personhood is fundamental to African moral philosophy. In Ghana, among the Akan, the word ‘Nipa’ (and ‘Gbomo’ among the Ga) evokes a myriad of emotions and reasoning between speakers. However, existing literature primarily highlights the connection between personhood and Western conceptions of rights, often neglecting the rhetorical dimensions of how personhood is enacted in everyday language. This article examines the African conception of personhood by analysing the polysemic character of ‘Nipa’ as a rhetorical device. Employing a qualitative research approach, the study collected data through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with Akan and Ga speakers in the Greater Accra and Central Regions of Ghana. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, guided by Aristotle’s three rhetorical appeals ethos, pathos and logos as an analytical framework. Findings reveal personhood as an ethos-based attribution of moral credibility, personhood as a pathos-laden instrument of communal sentiment and shaming and personhood as a logos-driven system of cultural reasoning about social duties. The study contributes to African philosophical discourse by demonstrating that ‘Nipa’ functions not merely as a descriptive label but as a performative rhetorical act that simultaneously constructs, evaluates and regulates moral identity within community life.