George Lakoff on The Political Mind

Linguist and professor George Lakoff, author of The Political Mind: Why You Can't Understand 21st-Century American Politics with an 18th-Century Brain, says it's all about language.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/bl/episodes/2008/06/04/segments/100463

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• George
• Lakoff
• Politics
• Brian
• Lehrer

[rewinn]

This is an great clip, but his book is better because it's good notes linking to the science. "The Political Mind" is probably at your library

[fingers1122]

You should read Lakoff's "Don't Think of an Elephant."

[510AWOL]

Stop arguing about a 5 minute video. Read his books watch his hour long lectures then you will understand what he is trying to say. If you haven't stop arguing about stuff you're ignorant about

[Trudeau7900]

@Americaisgreat123 I wonder if he has.

[prebenso]

so they feel threatened - tell them to get over it

[xadam2dudex]

conservatives are 18th century thinkers.. they are primative thinkers who can't see forward just backwards

[Americaisgreat123]

For example -

Is a libertarian like Ron Paul a "stern father"? He's a pretty loose guy that opposes laws against drugs and prostitution.

Are mass murdering socialists like Mao, Hitler, and Stalin "nurturing mothers"? I doubt it.

[Americaisgreat123]

Is that the one with the subtitle saying you can't use a 19th century brain to fix 21st century problems?

I plan to eventually read a couple of his books including that and "Moral Politics", but I doubt I'll be impresses. The material almost seems blatantly anti-intellectual. Trying wimp liberals to a "nurturing mother" and tough conservatives to a "stern father" doesn't exactly impress me. Breaking down why people see the world how they do is a little more deep.

[Americaisgreat123]

Mr. Lakoff should read Thomas Sowell's book, "Black Rednecks and White Liberals."

He should also read "A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles."

[toosinbeymen]

The cons commenting here are displaying the right's aversion to science.

That would be an interesting topic of study for a historian. Has it always been this way, conservatives = anti science and scientific research?

[Peta51]

Professor Lakoff has been a great help in giving meat to political dialogues and freeing people from the split brain of left vs. right thinking. The agenda should be on humane rights, on advocating for an protecting humane rights, not mere distractions!