Words and political talk themselves constitute subversive action

Evidence

Thus, the Socratic discourse is political discourse inasmuch as it contradicts the established political institutions. The search for the correct definition, for the “concept” of virtue, justice, piety, and knowledge becomes a subversive undertaking, for the concept intends a new polis. — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 514 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

In the totalitarian era, the therapeutic task of philosophy would be a political task, since the established universe of ordinary language tends to coagulate into a totally manipulated and indoctrinated universe. Then politics would appear in philosophy, not as a special discipline or object of analysis, nor as a special political philosophy, but as the intent of its concepts to comprehend the unmutilated reality. If linguistic analysis does not contribute to such understanding; if, instead, it contributes to enclosing thought in the circle of the mutilated universe of ordinary discourse, it is at best entirely inconsequential. And, at worst, it is an escape into the non-controversial, the unreal, into that which is only academically controversial. — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 713 (#expands, via linked claim)

One important point about this notion of discourse is that it is not based on the conventional distinction between thought and action, language and practice. Discourse is about the production of knowledge through language. But it is itself produced by a practice: “discursive practice”—the practice of producing meaning. Since all social practices entail meaning, all practices have a discursive aspect. So discourse enters into and influences all social practices. Foucault would argue that the discourse of the West about the Rest was deeply implicated in practice—i.e., in how the West behaved toward the Rest. — Stuart Hall, Essential Essays, Volume 2, 569 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source
• XREF: connects to: Discourse fuses language and action, dissolving any ideology-movement split — Ernesto Laclau, On Populist Reason, 45; Language itself is a political battlefield when discourse is indoctrinated — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man: Studies in the…, 713; Discourse collapses the thought-action divide and shapes how the West behaved toward others — Stuart Hall, Essential Essays, Volume 2: Identity…, 569 (+3 more)

Related

• Seeking correct definitions is itself politically subversive (similarity 0.88)
• Political discourse redefines contested terms so opposition becomes definitionally impossible (similarity 0.86)
• Language itself is a political battlefield when discourse is indoctrinated (similarity 0.86)
• Discourse collapses the thought-action divide and shapes how the West behaved toward others (similarity 0.81)
• Discourse fuses language and action, dissolving any ideology-movement split (similarity 0.79)
• Discourse produces knowledge that shapes perceptions and enacts power (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Seeking correct definitions is itself politically subversive #corroborates (0.82) — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 514
• Language itself is a political battlefield when discourse is indoctrinated #expands (0.80) — Herbert Marcuse, One-Dimensional Man, 713
• Discourse collapses the thought-action divide and shapes how the West behaved toward others #expands (0.75) — Stuart Hall, Essential Essays, Volume 2, 569