#3200
Mentioned in 8 episodes

Politics and the English Language

Book • 1946
In 'Politics and the English Language', George Orwell argues that vague and imprecise language can obscure truth and manipulate public opinion.

He critiques the 'ugly and inaccurate' written English of his time, particularly in political contexts, where language is used to 'make lies sound truthful and murder respectable'.

Orwell emphasizes the importance of clear and concrete language, suggesting that poor writing fosters poor political thinking and is a danger to society.

He provides examples of bad writing and offers guidelines for effective writing, including six rules to avoid the misuse of language.

Orwell believes that language and thought are interdependent and that improving language can help improve political life.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 8 episodes

Mentioned by
undefined
Laura Beers
as an essay discussing the use of euphemism and the importance of clear speech.
32 snips
Why Orwell matters
Mentioned by
undefined
Sam Harris
when discussing the phenomenon of scapegoating in society and politics.
27 snips
#296 — Repairing Our Country
Mentioned by
undefined
Jonah Goldberg
when discussing the impact of language on political debates.
26 snips
The Perónian Swamp
Mentioned by
undefined
Bari Weiss
when discussing freedom of speech.
20 snips
Wrongthink on Race With Glenn C. Loury
Mentioned by
undefined
Dorian Lynskey
as an essay by George Orwell.
19 snips
George Orwell Part 1 – From Eton to Barcelona
Mentioned by
undefined
Armando Iannucci
, quoting his essay on the connection between political chaos and the decay of language.
18 snips
We Haven't Always Told Our Story as Well as We Should
Mentioned by
undefined
Angelina Stanford
as the source of a quote from his essay.
15 snips
Episode 271: The Literary Life of Peter Hitchens
Mentioned by
undefined
Robinson Erhardt
in relation to his essay on political language.
244 - Norman Finkelstein: Donald J. Trump, Mossad Conspiracies in Israel, and the Dying Left
Mentioned by
undefined
Andrew Keen
in relation to the misuse and abuse of language.
Episode 2282: Adam Kirsch on the nonsense of "Settler Colonialism"
Mentioned by
undefined
Mark Levin
, referring to its author when discussing manipulation of words in politics.
7/31/25 - How Census Mistakes Could Shift Congressional Power
Mentioned by
undefined
Laura Williams
for his essay on the English language, offering insights into clear and effective writing.
Laura Williams: Writing for the Real World
Recommended by
undefined
Danielle Allen
for its insights on language and political manipulation.
An inspiring conversation about democracy
Mentioned by
undefined
Andrew Keen
in relation to his essay on political language.
Episode 2091: Lilie Chouliaraki on the Weaponization of Victimhood
Mentioned by
undefined
Dave Eggers
when discussing how AI grading systems score essays based on keywords rather than content.
Recode Decode: Dave Eggers
Mentioned by
undefined
Yannic Kilcher
in relation to his essay on the manipulation of language.
#042 - Pedro Domingos - Ethics and Cancel Culture
Recommended by Parakeet as an essay that everyone should read, highlighting its impact on language and thought.
Skittle Factory Dementia Monkey Titty Monetization with Parakeet (Hyperlegible
Mentioned by
undefined
Wes Cecil
when discussing bureaucratic language and its impact on thought.
House of the Intellect - Ep. 3
Mentioned by
undefined
Lauren Torres
to illustrate how language affects thinking.
Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language

The AI-powered Podcast Player

Save insights by tapping your headphones, chat with episodes, discover the best highlights - and more!
App store bannerPlay store banner
Get the app