I'll Get To The Point, Sooner Than Later.

I could go off on many tangents, from the root of Cognitive linguistics. And I might, as time goes on. I am fascinated by the subject. But I will get to the point before I go off on the many related issues.

I have long thought that what seperates the left and right wings in America, is the common language (sort of a play off of the old joke about England and America, but it seems apt.)

And I am not alone in thinking that.



The book . . ."Moral Politics" has two different purposes as a book. On one hand, Lakoff attempts to use the techniques of cognitive linguistics to better understand the mental frameworks that lie behind contemporary American politics. He strives to describe which mental concepts make up a "liberal", and which a "conservative". (What Lakoff means by these two terms is considered below.) On the other hand, in the last few chapters of the book, he also attempts to justify why "liberal" morals and politics (of which the author admits to partake) are superior to "conservative" morals and politics.

The book is an objective study of the conceptual metaphors underlying conservative and liberal politics although the closing section is devoted to the author's personal views. Lakoff makes it clear however, that there is no such thing as an Objective study of politics, as politics is based in subjective morality.

* * * * * * *

As to why liberals and conservatives view each other's as incomprehensible on an issue-by-issue basis, Lakoff claims the trouble lies in each side not grasping the other side's worldview, and how different it is from its own. Failure to do so results in both sides thinking the other is hopelessly irrational and immoral; an obviously unfortunate state of affairs.
As to why liberals and conservatives use different vocabulary, even to the point of using the same words to mean different things, Lakoff would again point to his model. Liberals and conservatives have different worldviews, and words are very much influenced by the worldview of the speaker. As Lakoff puts it,
Words don't have meanings in isolation. Words are defined relative to a conceptual system. If liberals are to understand how conservatives use their words, they will have to understand the conservative conceptual system. (From chapter 2, "The Worldview Problem")

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moral_Politics

I have sliced and diced the article, and pulled just the parts relevant to my point.

Yes, it does seem (or at least a lucid case may be made) that people on the left and the right do not understand each other as they are almost speaking a different language, a lot of the time.

Not an earth shattering revelation, but it does go far to explain the current polarization in American Politics.

I'll stop there for now.