The lost power of language

THE true meaning of some common words is being lost in political spin, and the consequences are not good.

That’s the message University of Wollongong academic Dr Mary Zournazi is touting in her latest book.

Dr Zournazi said certain ‘key words’ are being manipulated for political purposes, sucking out their true meaning and adversely affecting the way people engage with the world.

Dr Zournazi said words such as freedom, faith, morality, peace, trust, allegiance, patriotism, terror, fear and evil are some that are used for political means.
She said she wanted to explore the way the meaning of words is changed by the use of them politically.

The word “love”, for example, which Dr Zournazi said is “one of the most important words in our personal relationships”, is used in political terms in a negative way to secure loyalty or patriotism at the cost of other people.

The danger in this shifting of the meaning of words comes in its lack of honesty, Dr Zournazi said.

She believes revitalising language is a good starting point for renewing ideas and, from that, improving the world.

“I think that people need to mean what they say and when they talk about trust or when they talk about peace or when they talk about justice they need to really mean it and not just for political spin or because it will win a vote,” she said.

“My whole thing with the book is the connection between everyday use and public use … we don't take seriously what things like love and compassion and justice really mean we just use them flippantly.”

The academic said it is hard to be truthful in today’s society.

“Being truthful I think is one of the hardest things at the moment and to speak truthfully and from the heart is one of the things we need today.”

Dr Zournazi is the author of several other books including Hope - New Philosophies for Change and is writing a book called Peace.

She also works as a radio producer and cultural commentator for ABC Radio National.

Her latest book is called Keywords to War.