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Fuel the Enlightenment

George Lakoff: Whose Freedom?

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ophelia Avatar
ophelia
Posts: 25
Posted: 08.07.06, 06:57 AM
I found Prof. Lakoff particularly interesting because he really tries to understand and explain the differences in conservative and liberal modes of thinking—something which few others have done and which is all the more important given the ever-widening chasm between the Republican and Democratic parties.
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Newspeaker Avatar
Newspeaker
Posts: 37
Posted: 08.10.06, 02:15 PM
The beginning of the speech is a little dry, but Lakoff's theories are illuminated later with smart examples. His speech also empowers the relevance of linguistics in the arena of politics.
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Newspeaker Avatar
Newspeaker
Posts: 37
Posted: 08.10.06, 02:18 PM
I'm interested if any staunch democrat or republican takes offence in Lakoff's theory of the "strick father / nurturing parent" models as perhaps being overly conclusive.
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SQUAREHEAD Avatar
SQUAREHEAD
Posts: 14
Posted: 08.10.06, 03:51 PM
I think the models are molded by stereotypes. But in my opinion Lakoff is mostly on track. I'm a republican and I definately favor the "strong father, no excuses" model.
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rocketdog Avatar
rocketdog
Posts: 196
Posted: 09.25.06, 03:04 PM
Frankly, I find Lakoff's conflicting worldviews theory absolutely dead-on. The Strict Father / Nuturing Parent models may be based on generalizations, but I think there's a lot of truth to what he's saying. At any rate, I can see how these theories would be useful tools for both groups to understand each other's respective positions.

I also agree that the first half-hour or so of this clip is a little dry.
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szatyor Avatar
szatyor
Posts: 1
Posted: 07.15.07, 12:43 AM
Freedom--neither conservative nor "liberal"
Lakoff has a warped view of freedom himself, influenced by FDR's second bill of rights, the strong positive freedom tradition whereby I am free to conscript and expropriate others because I have needs. But no one's needs imposes a duty on others apart from parents but they freely committed themselvs to become providers. Being generous to those in need does not mean the needy are entitled to the generosity. Lakoff tries to continue the ruse of transforming what is important or valuable to people into something they have rights to. That only produces an array of conflicting pseudo-rights from which some dictator or tyrant will have the cherry pick the ones he or she likes to secure via the force of law.
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