Using the Terror Management Theory as a theoretical basis, this paper analyzes several presidential speeches by George W. Bush focusing on their instrumentalization of fear, depiction of out-groups and the usage of certain topic-related words in their context.
George Bush’s presidency, and particularly his foreign policy, was strongly influenced by the attacks on the World Trade Center on September the 11th, 2001. Not only did the attacks strengthen American patriotism and create a strong awareness of and antipathy against the threat of religiously motivated terrorism, but they also changed the president’s foreign policy and influenced his public image in an unpredictable way.
In the days and weeks that followed 9/11, he explained the events to the public in more detail, but also advertised and advocated his political response. Under his initiative, a military campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan was launched. This campaign was part of the war on terror, a vague term which Bush coined and which would dominate American foreign policy for over ten years from then on. Bush frequently used this strong term in his speeches to justify any kind of military action taken against a global threat.
He simplified the political matter of terrorism in his speeches by dividing the world clearly into good and evil, by ignoring Al Qaeda’s motivation for the attack and any possibility for a diplomatic solution, and by describing the matter in a very emotional manner, often devoid of logical reasoning. Instead of clearly and fully explaining his political actions, Bush resorted to the use of simple and emotive appeals to Americans’ sense of justice and patriotism, thereby presenting himself as a compassionate and righteous president.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Emotions as a Political Instrument: Terror Management Theory and its Relevance
- 2.1 Fear and Mortality Salience According to Terror Management Theory
- 2.2 Out-group Stigmatization as a Result of Mortality Salience
- 2.3 TMT and post-9/11 attitude change in America
- 2.4 Rhetoric Instrumentalization of Prejudice, Fear and Patriotism
- 3. George Bush's post 9/11 Policies, Speech Context and Content
- 4. Speech Analysis
- 4.1 Frequency, Context and Text Position of Emotional Content in Bush's Speeches
- 4.1.1 Emotion-related words
- 4.1.2 Keywords
- 4.1.3 Words Related to Ethic and Moral Values and Judgment
- 4.1.4 Mortality Salience - and Death-related Words and Phrases
- 4.2 Rational Arguments: Linguistic and Logic Analysis and Criticism
- 5. Other Speech Analyses of Bush's 2001 and 2002 Speeches
- 6. Connection to Terror Management Theory and Conclusion
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper aims to analyze the rhetorical strategies employed by George W. Bush in his post-9/11 speeches, focusing on how he used emotional appeals to justify his war policies. It will examine the effectiveness of his rhetoric by connecting it to Terror Management Theory (TMT). The analysis will focus on the frequency and context of emotional language, exploring its intended impact on the American public.
- The instrumentalization of fear and other emotions in political rhetoric.
- The application of Terror Management Theory to understand the impact of 9/11 on American attitudes and policies.
- Analysis of the linguistic features of Bush's speeches, particularly the use of emotional language and appeals to patriotism.
- Evaluation of the rational arguments (or lack thereof) presented in Bush's speeches.
- Comparison with other analyses of Bush's war rhetoric.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the analysis by establishing the context of George W. Bush's presidency in the aftermath of 9/11. It highlights the significant impact of the attacks on American patriotism, foreign policy, and the president's public image. The chapter introduces the concept of the "war on terror" and Bush's tendency to use emotional appeals rather than logical reasoning in his speeches to justify military actions. It outlines the paper's methodology, which involves analyzing Bush's speeches through the lens of Terror Management Theory (TMT) to understand the effectiveness of his rhetorical strategies in shaping public opinion.
2. Emotions as a Political Instrument: Terror Management Theory and its Relevance: This chapter lays the theoretical groundwork for the analysis by introducing Terror Management Theory (TMT). It defines mortality salience and explains how TMT posits that when individuals confront their own mortality, their attitudes towards out-groups become more negative, while their patriotism and in-group loyalty increase. The chapter explores how TMT can be applied to understanding the American response to 9/11 and the potential influence on political attitudes and emotional responses. It serves as a crucial bridge between psychological theory and the subsequent analysis of Bush's rhetoric.
Frequently Asked Questions: Analysis of George W. Bush's Post-9/11 Speeches
What is the main topic of this paper?
This paper analyzes the rhetorical strategies employed by George W. Bush in his post-9/11 speeches, focusing on how he used emotional appeals to justify his war policies. It examines the effectiveness of his rhetoric by connecting it to Terror Management Theory (TMT).
What is Terror Management Theory (TMT), and how is it relevant to this analysis?
Terror Management Theory (TMT) posits that when individuals confront their own mortality, their attitudes towards out-groups become more negative, while their patriotism and in-group loyalty increase. This theory is used to understand the American response to 9/11 and the potential influence on political attitudes and emotional responses to Bush's rhetoric.
What aspects of Bush's speeches are analyzed?
The analysis focuses on the frequency and context of emotional language in Bush's speeches, exploring its intended impact on the American public. It also examines the rational arguments (or lack thereof) presented and compares findings with other analyses of his war rhetoric.
What specific elements of language are examined in the speech analysis?
The analysis includes the frequency, context, and text position of emotional content, examining emotion-related words, keywords, words related to ethics and moral values, and mortality/death-related words and phrases.
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
Key themes include the instrumentalization of fear and other emotions in political rhetoric; the application of TMT to understand the impact of 9/11 on American attitudes and policies; the analysis of linguistic features, particularly emotional language and appeals to patriotism; and an evaluation of the rational arguments in Bush's speeches.
What is the structure of the paper?
The paper is structured with an introduction, a chapter explaining TMT and its relevance, a chapter detailing Bush's post-9/11 policies and speech context, a chapter dedicated to the speech analysis itself, a chapter comparing findings to other analyses, and a concluding chapter connecting the findings to TMT.
What is the overall goal of this research?
The overall goal is to understand how George W. Bush utilized emotional appeals in his rhetoric following 9/11, and to assess the effectiveness of these strategies in shaping public opinion, using the framework of Terror Management Theory.
What is included in the provided preview?
The preview includes the title, table of contents, objectives and key themes, chapter summaries, and keywords.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Jonas Faust (Autor:in), 2015, The Instrumentalization of Fear in the Rhetorics of George W. Bush. A Linguistic Analysis, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/468171
