The Power of Words
Language has an irreplaceable role in our lives as mankind has grown
to depend on it as an important way of acquiring Knowledge. But how
valid is language as a way of knowing? French philosopher Jean-Paul
Sartre answered this question with the quote: "Words are more
treacherous and powerful than we think." Words do indeed lie. It is
precisely because of its role as an indispensable tool of
communication and thoughts that words have the power to mold our
values, emotions and perception. We encounter large amounts of hidden
implications and deceptions embedded in words on a daily basis, from
the books we read to the news we hear. Language can be a powerful
instrument of expression when effectively applied or that of deceits
when abused. Thus, the objective of this essay is to evaluate the
impact of language on our perception and illustrate its "treacherous
and powerful" nature using examples from Areas of Knowledge including
human science, ethics, history and mathematics.
Linguist Edward Sapir's theory holds the view that language has the
power to shape people's views. Peggy Rosenthal in her book Words and
Values concurs with Sapir's philosophy that words have the power to
lead people's behaviour and thoughts. Words can have both a positive
and treacherous influence on our way of intellectual pursuits and
personal life. The word "development" acquired its significance from
the Darwin's Theory of Evolution, highly regarded by men as a positive
concept because of the Evolution Theory's success (Rosenthal 51). Once
"development" earned its validity in science, it becomes a dominant
and powerful term that motivates ...
... middle of paper ...
...ords we use and encounter, including those of this essay.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Davison, Rober. Eagle transforming : the art of Robert Davidson.
Vancouver :
Douglas & McIntyre, 1994.
Martinich, A. P. The Philosphy of Language. 4th ed. New York: Oxford
University
Press, 2001.
Nystrand, Martin. Language As A Way of Knowing: A Book of Readings.
Ontario: The
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 1977.
Orwell, George. Animal Farm. New York: Harcourt Brace, 1990.
Pratkanis, Anthony and Elliot Aronson. Age of Progaganda. 2nd ed. New
York: W.H. Freeman and Company, 2001.
Personal Discussions:
Liu, Emily. "Mathematics is Independent of Experience". Sir Winston
Churchill Secondary School. BC. 2003
Mogyrosi, Ellen. "Areas of Knowledge". Sir Winston Churchill Secondary
School. BC. 2002
“I have hated the words and I have loved them, and I hope I have made them right.” (Zusak 528) Words and the power they possess is a common theme that is heavily mentioned throughout the novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Throughout this book, rhetoric affects multiple characters in both positive and negative ways. There are instances in this book in which one can see how words have the ability to tear people down, educate and inform, and to inspire individuals to follow their dreams.
The Power of an Author Authors have the ability justify the worst actions. Authors have a way of romanticizing certain situations in order to convey a specific message. A good author has power to influence the reader into believing whatever it is the author wants. When it comes to the story of Hannah Dustan, authors such as John Greenleaf Whittier have romanticized her captivity story along with the actions she took throughout her journey. Introducing a character that will be seen in the story is one of the most vital parts when creating a piece of literature.
California Law Review, 70(1), 54-106. Orwell, G. (1945). The 'Path of Animal Farm. London: Secker & Warburg, Inc.
The mighty river flows through the mountains with liquidity and nurture providing life for all those who wish to take a sip from it. Yet the river is powerful in its own force destroying even the largest rocks, crumbling them into small pieces. People may be able to stop the river for a short time or even dry it up but the water always comes back in one form or another, every dam is bound to fail. Some people have been able to harness the power of the river, redirecting the mighty water making it flow in constructive ways. Similar to the river, language is influential. Its true power is not seen by the naked eye but by those who study it, those who use it as their ally in a war of linguistics. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s letter, Birmingham City Jail he is able to use all three rhetorical appeals to prove that demonstrations lead to negotiations and benefit for both sides of an argument.
The prehistoric times stand evidence to the power of language as a tool for communication and growth. Language has proven to be an effective medium and factor surrounding the evolution of man. Language has played a big role in the development of individuals and societies. What is spoken and/or written, help in the initiation of imagination, expression of feelings, and conveyance of thoughts and ideas.
The Audacity of Hope was given on July 27, 2004, as the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. Throughout the speech, Barack Obama’s purpose is made clear by the description of the positive attributes of presidential candidate John Kerry. The Audacity of Hope made Obama further known in the world of politics, and a star among the Democratic Party. The strength and persuasive qualities of Barack Obama’s speech are created by repetition devices, various sentence structures, and abstract language.
This source comes from Jason Satnley’s article about the power words have and how they can be used to silence people and the truth. Stanley mainly covers the topic of political silencing which is the way politicians use words to silence their opponents or also to silence any of rumors that my be flying around that politician. There is also what he describes as speech acts and how we take part in this every time we speak. He gives the example from Catharine MacKinnon and her article on how pornography silences women. That we have turn a woman’s speech act of saying “no” to mean something else in the world of pornography. He also gives the example of how silencing is not limited to a person and how big news companies say they give both sides
Words can bring positive change to a community, be it a small town or the entire world - all it takes is two key components, delivery and content. This was certainly the case with Clarence Darrow’s 1926 concluding speech in defence of African American, Henry Sweet, accused of the murder of a white man. Darrow’s monumental eight-hour speech set a legal precedent when Sweet was acquitted of his murder charge. The speech, “Changed the status of Negros before the law and meant in respect to defending ones home and self in self defence, what applied to whites now, in practice and not just in word, apply to African Americans as well.” Clarence Darrow’s speech, along with Henry Sweet’s acquittal, is now considered huge milestone in the civil rights movement.
Toni Morrison makes a good point when, in her acceptance speech upon receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature, she says, “Narrative . . . is . . . one of the principal ways in which we absorb knowledge” (7). The words we use and the way in which we use them is how we, as humans, communicate to each other our thoughts, feelings, and actions and therefore our knowledge of the world and its peoples. Knowledge is power. In this way, our language, too, is powerful.
When a person has enough power in a society, it gives them a lot of control over certain things. When they have this control, they can have ownership over a person or a thing. By naming someone, or something, a person gains an unspoken ownership over him or her, they are now in control of him or her and it has created a new identity for them and erased their old identity. Power, naming and un-naming, control and ownership and identity are very important elements in “Mary” and “No Name Woman”. Both essays deal with power, identity, control and ownership, while “Mary” focuses more on naming and “No Name Woman” focuses on un-naming.
The desire of rhetoric is always seated in attaining and preserving happiness. Corax of Syracuse (and/or Tisias) is regarded as the first theorist to devise an art of rhetoric as a means to help citizens regain their property seized under the rule of a despot. In this foremost case of Greco-Roman rhetoric, political happiness was sought by means of judicial speeches. The poly-discursive varieties of rhetorical happiness have theoretically expanded in depth and scope from the philosophical, metaphysical, ethical, religious, psychological, and aesthetic. If citizens in the 5th century BCE were happy, then there would have been no need for rhetoric; as a result, the foundational assumption of my special area exam is that happiness remains an ideological desire advancing rhetoric.
In a simple positive feedback mechanism, (A) produces more of (B) which in turn produces more of (A). This is often called a chain reaction. Through this system, “bad habits” get passed on to the population and, without proper tools or care, are accepted and spread further. Orwell explains that language is a tool for communicating ideas (591). These “bad habits” spread through our language and dull the tools people need to communicate.
According to Max Dublins THE POWER OF PROPHECY, He seems to want to give a feeling that prophecy is all in the listeners mind and that Prophets are mostly very manipulative people and can influence people greatly. I tend to agree with this to some degree.
The use of language can be seen to correlate with the views of society. The words used to describe groups and the tone associated is a hindrance to the acceptance of all the ways people are grouped. Prejudice can be stereotypes or terms used that society did not first recognize as discrimination or hate. The words spoken can have a greater impact than once believed. The ability to vocalize these words can be permanent through social media and has a negative impact on society. Social media shows that women are grouped with unwanted characteristics. The message that language can have towards the ability of women is taught in schools. The discrimination learned through schools can affect women in their area of employment and society. The inability
Fromkin, Victoria, Robert Rodman, and Nina Hyams. An Introduction to Language. 8th ed. Boston: Thomson, 2007.