Χριστόφορος Χαραλαμπάκης: Η εξουσία της γλώσσας και η γλώσσα της εξουσίας

This paper discusses the power of language and the language of power and is divided into two parts. The first one deals with the views of the sophist Gorgias, Plato and Chomsky and the powerful metaphor of language as a weapon. Special emphasis is put on Apostle Paul and P. Bourdieu. The opinions of Ernst Topitsch and Kurt Tucholsky are here briefly presented for the first time. In the more extensive second part, the alienated mechanisms of the language are discussed, with reference to mass media and the language of politics, with many illustrated examples, as well as the language of advertisement. Special attention is drawn to the notion of linguistic discrimination. The suggestion is made that Critical Discourse Analysis and Critical Language Awareness can contribute to the emancipation of the oppressed social classes and must be exploited in the education.