Rhetoric as an Instrument for Manipulation and Distortion of Truth: An Analysis of Orwell's 1984
Aristotle, in his Rhetoric, points out that allindividuals indulge in rhetoric to demonstrate the truth orrighteousness in what one wants to say. Problems arise onlywhen rhetoric is used to appeal to emotions, rather than reason.In the current times, when rhetoric is used by leaders forpropaganda, t...
| Published in: | Journal of Dharma |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Dharmaram College
2017
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| In: |
Journal of Dharma
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| Further subjects: | B
Language
B State B Newspeak B Totalitarianism B Rhetoric B Propaganda B Doublethink B Reason |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | Aristotle, in his Rhetoric, points out that allindividuals indulge in rhetoric to demonstrate the truth orrighteousness in what one wants to say. Problems arise onlywhen rhetoric is used to appeal to emotions, rather than reason.In the current times, when rhetoric is used by leaders forpropaganda, to whip up emotions in terms of nationalism andracism, George Orwell's remark that "political language isdesigned to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable,"6sounds relevant. The author examines Orwell's 1984 todemonstrate how rhetoric is a powerful tool in the hands ofpolitical leaders that can control the thoughts of individuals, tothe extent of reducing them to non-entities. In an era wheremanufacture of consent is possible, the paper highlights howthe quality of rhetoric has vitiated over time and the concernthat the abuse of language prevalent in fascist regimes of Hitlerand Stalin is slowly creeping into democracies too. A peacefuland harmonious existence is possible only when politicalleaders engage in responsible rhetoric and are willing todialogue with dissenting voices. |
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| ISSN: | 0253-7222 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of Dharma
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