Maat, the moral ideal in ancient Egypt: a study in classical African ethics

470 Pages·2004·17.42 MB·English

by  Karenga (Maulana.)

AFRICANS TUDIES
HISTORY, POLITICS,E CONOMICSC,U LTURE
Copyright 2004 by Taylor & Francis Books, Inc
KWAME NKRUMAH'CSO NTRIBUTION TO
PAN-AFRICANISM
An Afrocentric Analysis
D. Zizwe Foe
NVANSAPO (THE WISDOM KNOT1
Toward an Afiican Philosophy ofEducatio~z
Kwadowo A. Okrah
THE ATHENS OF WEST AFRICA
A History of International Education at
Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone
Daniel J. Paracka, Jr.
THE LGIVIL SOCIETYP' ROBLEMATIQUE
Deconstructing Civility and Southern
Nigeria's Ethnic Radicalization
Adedayo Oluwakaoyode Adekson
Copyright 2004 by Taylor & Francis Books, Inc
Routledge
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Copyright 2004 by Taylor & Francis Books, Inc
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This book has been typeset in Times Roman, Egyptian Transliteration, Inscribe and
AfroRoman by Tiamoyo Karenga.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Karenga, Maulana.
Maat, the moral ideal in ancient Egypt : a study in classical African ethics / Maulana
Karenga.
p. cm. - (African studies)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-415-94753-7 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Maat (Egyptian ideal). 2. Egypt-Religion. 3. Philosophy, Egyptian 4. Ethics. I. Title.
11. Series: African studies (Routledge (Firm) )
BL2450.M33K37 2003
299l.3 12--&22 200302081 0
Copyright 2004 by Taylor & Francis Books, Inc
A To Maat which stands at the beginning, center
and end of this project.
A To Cheikh Anta Diop who walked this way before me
and left a clear path.
A To my father and mother, Mr. Levi and Mrs. Addie
Everett, and the legacy of good they left us.
A To all my famil'immediate and extended, nzy
Organization Us and my)iends.
A To our people and our rich, varied and most ancient
heritage in Kemet and all of AjPica, and the
paradigms it poses of moral grounding
and humanf lourishing.
Copyright 2004 by Taylor & Francis Books, Inc

Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
Foreword
Chapter1
The Maatian Ideal:
A Conceptual Framework
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Maat: The Conceptual Ideal
1.3 Conceptual Assumptions of the Study
1.3.1 Stance and Tradition
1.3.2 Difference from Egyptology
1.3.3 The Open Texture of Maatian Discourse
1.3.4 Beyond the Eurocentric Approach
1.3.5 Toward An African-Centered Approach
1.3.6 The Unity and Diversity of Tradition
1.3.7 Continuity and Development
1.4 Tasks and Delimitations of the Study
Chapter 2
The Maatian Ideal:
From the Old Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom
2.1 Introduction: Formative Context
2.1.1 The Decisive Factor of Kingship
2.1.2 Civil Service and Social Ethics
2.1.3 A Context of Peace and Stability
2.1.4 The Economic Conditions
2.2 The Evolution of the Maatian Ideal: The Old Kingdom
2.2.1 The Pyramid Texts
2.2.2 The Declarations of Virtue
2.2.3 The Sebait
Copyright 2004 by Taylor & Francis Books, Inc
Table of Contents
2.3 Maat in the First Intermediate Period
2.3.1 The Declarations of Virtue (DOV)
2.3.2 The Sebait
2.4 Maat in the Middle Kingdo
2.4.1 The Coffm Texts
2.4.2 The Declarations of Virtue
2.4.3 The Moral Narrative
2.4.4 The Books of Contemplation
Chapter 3
The Maatian Ideal:
From the New Kingdom to the Late Period
3.1 Maat in the New Kingdom
3.1.1 Early Phase: Formative Context
3.1.2 Early Phase: Autobiographies
3.1.3 The Amarna Period: Autobiographies
3.1.4 The Restoration
3.1.5 The Ramessid Period
3.1.5.1 Introduction: Piety and Ethics
3.1.5.2 The Sebait
3.2 Maat in the Late Period
3.2.1 Introduction
3.2.2 The Early Phase: Autobiographies
3.2.3 The Nubian Period: Autobiographies
3.2.4 The Saite Period: Autobiographies
3.2.5 The Persian Periods and the Last In dence
3.3 Maat in the Greek and Roman Periods
3.3.1 The Autobiographies
3.3.2 The Sebait
Chapter 4
Maatian Theology:
The Declarations of Innocence
4.1 Introduction
4.2 The Textual
4.3 The Theological Se
4.4 The Transliteration and Translation
4.4.1 The Introduction
4.4.1.1 The Transliterati
4.4.1.2 The Translation
Copyright 2004 by Taylor & Francis Books, Inc
Table of Contents
4.4.2 Declarations of Innocence (A)
4.4.2.1 The Transliterat
4.4.2.2 The Translation
4.4.3 Declarations of Innocence (B)
4.4.3.1 The Transliteration
4.4.3.2 The Translation
4.4.4 Address to the Divine Ones
4.4.4.1 The Transliteration
4.4.4.2 The Translation
4.5 The Sitz im Leben of the DO1
4.6 Maatian Moral Theology
4.6.1 Fundamental Concepts
4.6.2 Evolution of the Idea of Judgment
Translation Notes for the Declarations
Chapter 5
Maatian Ontology
5.1 Introduction
5.2 The Potentiality and Power of
5.2.1 Creative Becoming
5.2.2 The Self-Affumation of Life
5.2.3 The Creative Character of Speech
5.3 The Orderedness of Being
5.3.1 The Created Order of Maat
5.3.2 The Social Order of Maat
5.4 The Continuity of Being
5.4.1 The Creative So of Being
5.4.2 Differentiation in Unity
5.4.3 Being and the Transmission of Essence
5.5 The Essential Goodness of Being
5.5.1 The Ontological Anchor of Maat
5.5.2 Cooperative Character of Being
5.5.3 Being and Evil
5.6 The Eternalness of Being
5.6.1 The Telos of Being
5.6.2 The Dynamic Character of Being
Copyright 2004 by Taylor & Francis Books, Inc