Anarchopathology of Language (3/5): From the Poetics of Enchantment to the Clamor of Propaganda in the Language of Political Careerism

Anarchopathology of Language (3/5): From the Poetics of Enchantment to the Clamor of Propaganda in the Language of Political Careerism

Mahmoud Sadeghi Janbehan

Translated into English by ChatGPT

Sloganization in Political Language – Much Ado about Nothing

1. Definition and Nature of Sloganization

One of the most prevalent pathologies in political language among political careerists and a wide range of media actors is the trap of sloganization. Within the system of the Anarchopathology of Language, sloganization in political discourse refers to a condition in which messages, goals, and actions are expressed through short, clichéd, and superficial phrases that fail to reflect careful analysis, deep critique, or possibilities for practical action. In such a state, language is stripped of its social, historical, and ethical grounding and reduced merely to a tool of noise-making and attention-seeking opportunism. Social media platforms are saturated with such slogan-like banalities.

From the perspective of anarchological critique of political language, sloganization constitutes a profound injury to the consciousness-raising and transformative functions of language. Slogans—especially when devoid of rational foundations and driven merely by emotional fervor—plunder the field of rational and critical analysis. Unfortunately, the public itself often participates in this process, either knowingly or unconsciously, turning language into a means of reproducing domination and legitimizing established powers. Thus, political language, which could serve as a horizon for dialogue, critique, and emancipation, is reduced to an instrument of control, emotional mobilization, and political consumption.

2. Roots and History of Sloganization

• Simplification of messages: In contexts where the complexities of political reality are ignored, or the capacity for critical understanding is limited, language is reduced to simple, clichéd, and easily digestible slogans for the masses.
• Engineering public opinion: Dominant powers employ slogans as tools for quickly directing collective emotions and behaviors—facilitating the reproduction of domination and the perpetuation of power structures.
• Substitution for philosophizing: Just as poeticization can obstruct thinking, sloganization also replaces critical analysis, closing the path toward justice-oriented, transformative politics.

In such an environment, the emotional dimension of language overwhelms its semantic and informational functions. Consequently, the possibility of deep analysis—and thereby the groundwork for fundamental transformations—is squandered. As recent political developments illustrate, sloganization has so muddied the waters that the rediscovery of a clear path to emancipation is seriously delayed. Overcoming this condition and achieving substantive democracy requires rationality in language, a necessity affirmed by the historical experiences of social and political transformations in the West.

3. Consequences of Sloganization in Political Language

The main consequences of sloganization can be summarized under three headings:

• Weakening the critical power of language: Language, which should function as a medium for recognizing reality, critiquing structures, and opening new pathways of social and human existence, is reduced under sloganization to a tool for noise-making and triggering short-lived emotions. As a result, its capacity for fostering awareness, growth, and deep transformation is gravely impaired.
• Imposition of unilateral power: Slogans are often designed to serve dominant powers. By steering collective emotions, they weaken the potential for conscious dissent and resistance. Language, instead of being a space for dialogue and critique, becomes a tool of soft repression and the unilateral imposition of power.
• Emptying language of ethics and freedom: With the spread of sloganization, political language is stripped of its ethical, cognitive, and emancipatory potential. What remains is a language that either functions as propaganda or is reduced to the spectacles of political excitement. Thus, language—which could be a pathway to meaning, justice, and freedom—is degraded into a mere vehicle for power display and political consumerism.

4. The Possibility of Liberation in Sloganization

Despite its deeply negative consequences, sloganization cannot be entirely dismissed. Under certain circumstances, a slogan can ignite social movements. Sometimes, the theoretical foundations of a transformative vision are first manifested in a short, incisive slogan. Such conciseness may function as a revelatory instrument of domination and a catalyst for collective awareness.

However, the effectiveness of slogans depends on how they are tied to critical thinking, moral courage, and practical action. A slogan relying solely on emotionality becomes an instrument of noise-making and reproduction of domination. In contrast, a slogan rooted in critical reflection, ethical commitment, and practical resolve can transcend the realm of mere words:

• It can represent emancipatory goals and embody systems of belief.
• It can foster justice-seeking, cognitive courage, and moral bravery.
• It can promote freedom.

Thus, in its emancipatory and dignity-centered meaning, the slogan can become an instrument of popular mobilization—yet only when grounded in rationality and reflective thought. Otherwise, it is not only poisonous but “more poisonous than any other poison.”

Reference

Sadeghi Janbehan, M. (2025). Anarchopathology of Language: Political Language on the Scale of Critique; From Poeticization to Sloganization with Philosophizing (Part 3 of 5). Retrieved from https://anarchology.blogfa.com