Lakoff biography

The first frame gets the advantage. Indicate the lie. Avoid amplifying the specific language if possible. Return to the truth. Always repeat truths more than lies. Lakoff calls this a "truth sandwich" even though the baloney is in the middle. The position of the lie avoids both primacy and recency effects. Between and , Lakoff was involved with a progressive think tank , the Rockridge Institute , an involvement that follows in part from his recommendations in Moral Politics.

Among his activities with the institute, which concentrates in part on helping liberal candidates and politicians with re-framing political metaphors, Lakoff has given numerous public lectures and written accounts of his message from Moral Politics. In , Lakoff joined Fenton Communications , the nation's largest public interest communications firm, as a Senior Consultant.

One of his political works, Don't Think of an Elephant! Know Your Values and Frame the Debate , self-labeled as "the Essential Guide for Progressives", was published in September and features a foreword by former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean. He wrote that Lakoff was condescending and deplored Lakoff's "shameless caricaturing of beliefs" and his "faith in the power of euphemism.

Lakoff states that he explicitly rejects cognitive relativism, arguing that he is "a realist, both about how the mind works and how the world works. Given that the mind works by frames and metaphors, the challenge is to use such a mind to accurately characterize how the world works. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history.

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Lakoff biography

In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikiquote Wikidata item. American linguist born Bayonne, New Jersey , U. Indiana University MIT. Conceptual metaphor theory Embodied cognition. Robin Lakoff. Cognitive linguistics Cognitive science. Work [ edit ]. Reappraisal of metaphor [ edit ]. Linguistics wars [ edit ]. Further information: Linguistics wars.

Embodied mind [ edit ]. Further information: Embodied philosophy. Mathematics [ edit ]. Political significance and involvement [ edit ]. Disagreement with Steven Pinker [ edit ]. Works [ edit ]. Writings [ edit ]. Videos [ edit ]. Among linguists, George Lakoff ranks 54 out of Among people born in , George Lakoff ranks Among people born in United States , George Lakoff ranks 2, out of 20, Davis , Leonard Kleinrock , and Gordon Scott This theory is particularly relevant in media and political discourse, where framing can shape public opinion and therefore attitudes towards various issues.

He highlights how politicians strategically use language to frame debates, evoke emotional responses, and also shape public opinion. His analysis of political discourse has brought further attention to the power of language in shaping societal beliefs and values. Despite his influential contributions, the work of George Lakoff has faced criticisms.

Some scholars argue that his emphasis on framing overlooks the complexity of social and political issues. Additionally, critiques have emerged regarding the universality of conceptual metaphors and their applicability across cultures. The enduring legacy of George Lakoff lies in the transformation of our understanding of language, cognition, and communication.

In the mids, Lakoff rejected the assumptions of formal grammar, believing that it limited generalizations about language and its connection to human cognition. He introduced the concept of "cognitive grammar," which allowed for the integration of linguistic knowledge with insights from cognitive science. His book "Women, Fire, and Dangerous Things" provides a comprehensive exposition of cognitive grammar.

Lakoff's groundbreaking work on metaphor, particularly in collaboration with philosopher Mark Johnson, brought him widespread recognition beyond linguistics. In the bestseller "Metaphors We Live By" , they argued that metaphor is not merely a poetic device, but a fundamental mechanism for making sense of the world. They explored how abstract concepts are understood through the transfer of knowledge from more concrete domains, a phenomenon they termed "experientialism.