VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
----------------------

NGUYEN TIEN DUNG

CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR IN POLITICAL
DISCOURSES (FROM ENGLISH & VIETNAMESE
RESOURCES)

Field of study:
Code:

Linguistics
9.22.90.20

SUMMARY OF PHD THESIS IN LINGUISTICS

HANOI - 2019


The thesis is completed at:
GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
VIỆN NGÔN NGỮ HỘC VIỆN KHOA HỌC XÁC HỘI

VIỆT NAM
Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Hong Con

Examiner 1: Prof. Dr. Do Viet Hung
Examiner 2: Prof. Dr. Nguyen Quang
Examiner 3: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Van Tinh

political system and a culture which are expressed vividly and persuasively through
the use of political metaphor of political speakers.
The choice of the dissertation topic “Conceptual metaphor in political
discourses (from English and Vietnamese resources)”, the researcher wishes to offer
additional evidence in this field of research in Vietnam, helping to further clarify how
native speaker of English and Vietnamese cognitize the world.
2. THE OBJECT AND SCOPE OF RESEARCH
2.1. The object of research
The object of research in this dissertation is conceptual metaphors in a number
of political discourses of political leaders in such English speaking countries as the
United States, the United Kingdom and Australia as well as Vietnamese political
leaders.
2.2. The scope of research
The dissertation focuses on structural metaphor and ontological metaphor in
English and Vietnamese political discourses of a number of political leaders such
English speaking countries as the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia as
well as Vietnam since the 20th century.
3. THE OBJECTIVE AND DUTY OF RESEARCH
3.1. The objective of research
The thesis researches the use of structural and ontological metaphors in English
and Vietnamese political discourses from the perspective of cognitive linguistics in an
attempt to clarify the features of various types of conceptual metaphors commonly
used in English and Vietnamese political discourses, the role of these conceptual


metaphors, the similarities and differences of conceptual metaphors in the political
discourses of the two languages. The thesis then presents explanations to the
similarities and differences (if applicable) on the linguistic, cultural and reasoning
basis.
3.2. The duty of research

The thesis comprises three chapters (apart from the Preface, Conlcusion, List of
dissertation-related published works of the researcher, List of References, and
Appendices): Chapter 1: Overview of previous studies and Theoretical Base; Chapter
2: Investigating the structural metaphor in English and Vietnamese political
discourses; Chapter 3: Investigating the ontological metaphor in English and
Vietnamese political discourses.


Chapter 1
OVERVIEW OF PREVIOUS STUDIES AND THEORETICAL
BACKGROUND
1.1. Overview of previous studies
1.1.1. Researching metaphor from the traditional perspective
The classic linguistic theory regards metaphor as an issue of linguistics rather
than of reasoning or action; and metaphor is believed not to be found in daily
language. In other words, metaphor is found only in poetics - a special type of
language. Metaphor is based on the similarities or comparison between the literal and
figurative meanings of a linguistic phrase and such similarities make it possible to
explain the use of a word in metaphorical manner. Some Vietnamese linguists also
see the similaritiers between two objects as the base of metaphor (Do Huu Chau,
1962; Nguyen Thien Giap, 1998).
1.1.2 Researching metaphor from the perspective of cognitive linguistics
1.1.2.1 Foreign research
Research in cognitive linguistics dates back to the 1980s with such names as G.
Lakoff, M. Johnson, G. Fauconnier, Ch. Fillmore, R. Jackendoff, R. Langacker, L.
Talmy, M. Turner, A. Wierzbicka ... Unlike the traditional perspective, cognitive
linguistics regards metaphor as an important instrument for conceptualization.
Cognitive linguistics studies metaphor via experiences and sees metaphor as a
cognitive phenomenon rather than a linguistic one.
In 1980 Lakoff and Johnson initiated the theory of conceptual metaphor and in

1.1.2.2. Domestic research
In Vietnam, Nguyen Lai is regarded as the first linguist researching cognitive
tendency with the textbook “Words denoting to movement in Vietnamese language”
(1990) which studies the semantic development of words denoting movement RA VÀO, LÊN - XUỐNG, ĐẾN - TỚI, LẠI - QUA, SANG - VỀ from the perspective of
cognitive linguistics with the embodiment theory seeing the human’s body as the
source.
The one who officially laid the foundation for cognitive linguistics in Vietnam
systematically is Ly Toan Thang (2005) with the book titled “Ngôn ngữ học tri nhận
– từ lý thuyết đại cương đến thực tiễn tiếng Việt”. The author studies the way to
perceive space and time in languge when approaching the space with the mancentered principle; accordingly, language reflects the way man perceives the world
through pairs of location concepts according to the position of man in the space like
above - under, front - back, right - left, in - out,… and time concepts according to the
position of man through 3 tenses: past, present and future.
In 2008, Nguyen Van Hiep looked at the approach of cognitive linguistics to the
role of meaning when analyzing and describing syntax. In 2009, Tran Van Co
systematically and comprehensively synthesized the central issues related to the
theory of conceptual metaphor from the “Metaphors we live by” of Lakoff and
Johnson (1980) and “Women, Fire and The Dangerous Things: What Categories
Reveal about The Mind” of Lakoff (1987).
In the recent years, most research in cognitive linguistics has been in conceptual
metaphor. Phan The Hung (2007: 12) rejects comparison view when claiming that
“metaphor is not simply the hidden comparison but the classification under the deep
structure of reasoning”. The author states that: metaphorical comparison conforms to
the layer of hierachy and the nature of classification is the basis of metaphor;
metaphor is irreversable and the relation between 2 objects in metaphor is not
assymmetric. Vo Kim Ha (2011) studies the expression of metaphor in Vietnamese
language according ot the theory of prototype in comparison with English and French
using the press articles and literature works as the linguistic data. Ha Thanh Hai
(2011) researches the conceptual metaphor in English – Vietnamese economic press
articles on the basis of the relation between language, culture and reasoning. Ly Lan

the attitude and thinking of the listeners. The author has noticed the frequent use of
personification concept to regard America as a person in the speeches of the four
Presidents, with the conceptual metaphors namely NATION AS A PERSON,
NATION WITH HUMAN ATTRIBUTES and NATION ACTING AS HUMAN.
Analysing of 06 discourses of President George W. Bush, Fadda (2006) notices
the appearance of the conceptual metaphor WAR AS A FAIRY TALE. Meadows
(2006) analysing the speeches of American politicians about Iraq in the 2004-2005
period also confirms the commonality of the conceptual metaphor WAR AS A
FAIRY TALE.
Arcimaviciene (2008) witnesses the commonality of the conceptual metaphors
POLITICS AS SPORTS / GAMBLING in the UK while the metaphor POLITICS AS
A TEAM GAME / HUNT is common in the Republic of Latvia despite deriving from
the same general conceptual metaphor POLITICS AS SPORTS.
Taiwo (2013) mentions the commonality of such conceptual metaphors related
to the nations, politicians and politics in English political discourses of Nigeria as


NATION AS A FAMILY, NATION AS A PERSON, POLITICIAN AS BUILDER,
POLITICS AS A BATTLE and POLITICS AS A JOURNEY.
Stenvoll (2011) points out the presence of the conceptual metaphor POLITICS
IS PHYSICS, Pikalo (2011) points to the conceptual metaphors INDIVIDUALS AS
SOCIAL ATOMS, STATES AS MASS PARTICLES, and Ringmar (2011) mentions
STATE AS A MUSICAL DIRECTOR and STATE AS A MACHINE.
Investigating the conceptual metaphor NATION AS A FAMILY in speeches of
American politicians like Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and John McCain, Ahrens
and Sphia Yat Mei Lee (2009) notices the more common use of the metaphor
GOVERNMENT AS A NURTURING PARENT than the use of the metaphor
GOVERNMENT AS A STRICT FATHER no matter whether those are from the
Republican party or the Democratic one. Such findings differ from the previous
comments of Lakoff (1996) that Republican party members tend to refer to the model


JOURNEY, BUILDING and LIVING BODY with 22 different conceptual
metaphors.
As a matter of fact, research on conceptual metaphors in political discourse is
considerable but is still limited in Vietnam, failing to draw the interest of many
Vietnamese linguists in the cognitive approach.
1.2. Theoretical background
1.2.1. An overview of cognitive science and cognitive linguistics
Cognitive science was born in the second half of the 20th century with the
purpose to study human’s intelligence from perception to action, from language to
reasoning. Cognitive science concerns the mind and the way information is processed
in the mind. Cognitive science sets the goal to find answers to the reasoning and
experience of the world, the conceptual system and the way to organize human’s
conceptual system.
In the late 1970s, some research in linguistics started turning towards the
cognitive approach with the interest in the relation between language and mind,
between language elements and the externalities, specifically the way human perceive
and classify objects and phenomena in the surrounding world mapped onto language.
By the late 1980s, cognitive linguistics theory was developed by Fillmore, Talmy and
especially Lakoff with his research on metaphor and Langacker with the formation of
cognitive grammar theory.
According to Ly Toan Thang (2008), cognitive linguistics is a new trend in
modern linguistics with the foucs being “researching language on the ground of
human’s experience and perception of the world as well as the way human perceive
and conceptualize the surrounding world”. Tran Van Co (2007) states that cognitive
linguistics researches human’s mental process through natural language and
differentiates the two pictures of the world from the view of cognitive linguistics: the
scientific picture of the world formed form the logical concepts reflecting human’s
cognition of the objective reality; and the language picture of the world being the way
human embody the worldview through language materials with the objective reality

meaning of language units must be defined in terms of shadow concepts and
foundation concepts.
1.2.3. Conceptual metaphor
Conceptual metaphor is one of the form of conceptualization, the mapping of
one structure from a concept domain onto another concept domain, the means of
cognition of man in general. Therefore, the similarity between conceptual metaphors
in different languages is fundamental and the difference, if there is, is found in the
dimension being activated; in other words, conceptual metaphors of different
languages are mainly alike and the difference is only found in language expressions
reflecting the differences in the choice of the perspectives of a concept or partial
concepts in a concept domain.
The cognitive mechanism of conceptual metaphors is related to two knowledge
domains, namely the source domain and the target domain, which exists inherently in
human’s perception. The two domains are systematically connected for there are
systematic similarities between the two domains or a relation in line with human’s
experiences.
Conceptual metaphor is a combination of mappings from the source domain to
the target domain where metaphorical linguistic expressions display conceptual
metaphors. The source domain and the target domain are concepts structured as the
field-function model: center-periphere, with the concept in the center bearing
universality of mankind and at the periphere being national language and culture in a
specific cultural “frame”.
The view “the target domain is the source domain” illustrates the tendency of
man reasoning about abstract concepts through more concrete concepts.
The mapping in the conceptual metaphor structure is a fixed system of
correspondences between elements forming the source domain and the target domain.
When the system of correspondences is activated, from the source domain the


mappings are transferred onto the target domain. It can be said that to perceive the

Regarding the fields of knowledge, discourse can be grouped as: literature discourse,
scientific discourse, religious discourse, moral discourse, economic discourse,
political discouse, press discourse, administrative discourse, legal discourse and
military discourse.
Political discourse is decided by the political context with the author/speaker
being political irganizations or politicians; the addressee being the general public; the
objective, content and function of discourse being political issues. The goal of
political discourse is to manipulate the listener and serve as an important instrument
for the political speaker to pursue and execute power. Political discourse is the
discourse of power, closely attached to the concept of power. Political speakers use


metaphor to persuade listener since metaphor is one of the most common instruments
to exert heavy-weight persuasion and undertake the propaganda in political discourse.
Summary of Chapter 1
Conceptual metaphor is reasoned on the basis of concepts. Concepts are not only
universal but also socio-culturally typical. The mechanism of conceptual metaphor is
in line with the mapping mechanism between the two space domains. Conceptual
metaphor in political discourse is complicated but very interesting since each
discourse contains tactics, strategies and effects of the whole political system and the
culture expressed vividly and persuasively through the use of conceptual metaphors
of politicians.
Chapter 2
INVESTIGATING STRUCTURAL METAPHORS IN ENGLISH AND
VIETNAMESE POLITICAL DISCOURSES
2.1 Structural metaphors in English political discourses
2.1.1 Structural metaphors with the source domain HUMAN ACTIVITIES
2.1.1.1 POLITICS AS A JOURNEY
Conceptual metaphor POLITICS AS A JOURNEY is commonly found in
political discourses and can be defined according to the following mapping:

have to make a hard decision, choosing an appropriate policy to reach the set goal.
Under this concept, there are a number of sub-level conceptual metaphors
POLITICS AS A ORIENTATIONAL JOURNEY, POLITICS AS A JOURNEY ON


A ROUTE, POLITICS AS A JIOURNEY OF TRAVELERS WITH THE SAME
DESTINATION, POLITICS AS A JOURNEY WITH OBSTACLES.
2.1.1.2 POLITICS AS BUILDING
The conceptual metaphor POLITICS AS BUILDING comprises two sub-level
conceptual metaphors THE NATION IS A BUILDING and POLITICIAN IS A
BUILDER. The conceptual metaphor POLITICS AS BUILDING can be identified as
the following mappings:
a) foundation

base of a political system

b) building

government system

c) collapse

failure of political system

d) fracture

weakness

of


evolved from apes to primitive people living in caves and late civilized people living
and working in modern buildings. It can be said that building sites develop through
time, marking the development and evolution of human’s civilized society. Hence, it
can be seen that the concept building is an appropriate source domain to help us
express the abstract concept nation growing and developing.
2.1.1.3 POLITICS AS WAR
Human often conceptualizes the source domains of war and conflict in the fields
of politics, love, argument and economics; therefore, the conceptual metaphor
POLITICS AS WAR is one of the most common conceptual metaphors expressed in
political discourses.


The conceptual metaphor POLITICS AS WAR and its sub-level metaphors
POLITICIANS AS SOLDIERS and POLITICAL FIELD AS BATTLEFIELD can be
identified as the following mappings:
a) battlefield

political field

b) soldier

politician

c) war, conflict

clashes among political parties

d) fight, attack

political move

society. Hence, the presence of weather in conceptual metaphors in political
discourses can be anticipated.
The conceptual metaphor POLITICS AS A WEATHER PHENOMENON and its
sub-class ones such as INNOVATION AS WIND, CHANGE AS STORM can be
identified as in the following mappings:
a) weather

political environment

b) dawn

new period

c) sunset

end of a period

d) wind

innovation

đ) storm

political instability

2.1.2.2 POLITICS AS LIGHT AND DARK


The source domain NATURAL ENVIRONMENT also comprises LIGHT and
DARK and the research findings from English political discourses reveal the presence

political activities

c) destination

political goals

d) milestone

political achievement

đ) obstacle

political instability

e) bog down

political gridlock

The conceptual metaphors with the source domain JOURNEY are highly conventional
and easily perceived by listeners. The findings reveal the presence of four sub-class
conceptual metaphors, namely REVOLUTION AS A JOURNEY, WAR AS A JOURNEY,
PATRIOTISM AS A JOURNEY and ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS A JOURNEY.
Of the words and phrases expressing the features of the source domain
JOURNEY, the word “pathway” accounts for up to 48% in the 56 political discourses
in question since political leaders in Vietnam tend to disseminate policies of the Party
and the State in their speeches and the concept pathway is often selected to concretize


the abstract policies as viewed by the common people who then relate to a specific
journey leading to the destination.

leaders

f) build

form the government

The conceptual metaphor POLITICS AS BUILDING is the most commonly used
in the Vietnamese political discourse in question. The common sub-class conceptual
metaphors in Vietnamese political discourses include NATION AS A BUILDING,
LEADERS AS ROOF, POLICY AS A BUILDING and BELIEF AS A BUILDING.
2.2.1.3 WAR AS HUMAN ACTIVITIES
The conceptual metaphor WAR AS HUMAN ACTIVITIES can be expressed as
in the following mappings:
a) escalate

intensify war activities

b) descend

reduce war activities

c) bog down

gridlock in war activities

d) heal

overcome war consequences

The conceptual metaphor WAR AS HUMAN ACTIVITIES comprises such sub-class

reveal an interesting phenomenon of conceptual metaphors when the same source
domain can map onto two different target domains, forming two different conceptual
metaphors with even anti-meanings.
2.2.2.2 POLITICS AS LIGHT
The conceptual metaphor POLITICS AS LIGHT can be mapped as follows:
light

positive factor

What is found common is the Vietnaamese political leaders conceptualizing possitive
factors as light, a universal concept as light indicates clarity, the source of life, the future and
hope.
Summary of Chapter 2
The findings show that models of structural metaphors conform to the rule of
single linear mapping from the source domain to the target domain, displaying the
partiality of the conceptualization process and the hierachy of the conceptual
structure with the existence of the coneptual metaphors and their sub-class ones.
Specifically, the two source domains HUMAN ACTIVITIES and NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT in English political discourses consist of five conceptual metaphors
and twelve sub-class conceptual metaphors while in the Vietnamese data there are
five conceptual metaphors and sixteen sub-class ones.
Chapter 3
INVESTIGATING ONTOLOGICAL METAPHORS IN ENGLISH AND
VIETNAMESE POLITICAL DISCOURSES
3.1. Ontological metaphors in English political discourses
3.1.1. Ontological metaphors with the source domain HUMAN ACTIVITIES
3.1.1.1 THE WORLD AS A COMMUNITY


The conceptual metaphor THE WORLD AS A COMMUNITY can be described

government

b) children

citizens

c) care

beneficial policy

d) brother, sister

fellow citizens

đ) nơi sinh sống

territory

The concept FAMILY is often employed by politicians to exert familiar impact
on listeners because once the relation between the government and the citizens is
conceptualized as the relation between parents and children, every policy and
regulation of the government can be seen as necessary for the sake of the people’s
interest and comparable to the care of parents towards children. Even when such
policies are strict, adversely affecting the citizens but once they are conceptualized as
parents’ care for the sake of their children’s future, politicians will receive
understanding and support of the people. It can be said that politicians use the
conceptual metaphor NATION AS A FAMILY in this case to call for sharing and


support of the people for the government’s policies and regulations is a smart and

a) boat / ship

nation

b) engine

government in question

c) steering

managing the nation

d) instrument

policy to manage the nation

đ) gridlock

problems

in

the

government’s

operation
3.1.2.2 POLITICS AS ANIMALS AND PLANTS
Animals and plants are one of the source domains to constitute the conceptual
metaphors since animals and plants are common in man’s daily life, attaching to

society

f) cultivate

develop

The course domain ANIMALS AND PLANTS is frequently used to
conceptualize the diplomatic relation between people according to the conceptual
metaphor RELATION AS PLANTS. In addition, peace between nations can also be
conceptualized from the source domain PLANTS and arises another conceptual
metaphor PEACE AS PLANTS.
3.1.3 Ontological metaphors with the source domain LIVING BODY
The findings from the English political discourses show two conceptual
metaphors NATION AS A LIVING BODY and BAD THINGS ARE ILLNESS.
The ontological metaphors with the source domain LIVING BODY can be
illustrated as follows:
a) living body

nation

b) wound

negative effects on nation

c) epidemic

bad effects on nation

d) heal



Nations are often conceptualized as people living in the world community with
many social relations: neighbouring relations, friendship and even hatred.
Aprt from the above sub-class metaphors, the findings also reveal the sub-class
metaphor GOVERNMENT / LEADERS AS CIVIL SERVANTS, CITIZENS AS
MASTERS. This metaphor can concretize the status and role of leaders in the
government in relation with people, highlighting the difference of the people’s
revolutionary government, the excellence of the nation of the people and for the
people.
3.2.1.2 NATION AS A FAMILY
The use of the conceptual metaphor NATION AS A FAMILY in Vietnamese
political discourses is relatively limited. Still, the thesis identifies 3 sub-class
LEADERS AS PARENTS, CITIZENS AS CHILDREN and PEOPLE IN A NATION
AS SIBLINGS.
The conceptual metaphor NATION AS A FAMILY and its sub-class ones can
be mapped as follows:
a) extended family

nation

b) family relation

national feeling

c) sibling

fellow citizen

d) house


The conceptual metaphor THE GOVERNMENT AS A MACHINE and its subclass ones can be illustrated as follows:
a) machine

government

b) boat

revolutionary course

c) engine

leader

d) operate

government’s activities

The features of the conceptual metaphor THE GOVERNMENT AS A
MACHINE has a lower frequency of use in Vietnamese political discourses possibly
because Vietnam is far behind such English-speaking countries as the US, the UK and
Australia in terms of industrial development, especially the UK as one of the first
countries in the world undergoing the First Industrial Revolution.
3.2.2.2 POLITICS AS PLANTS & ANIMALS
The features of the conceptual metaphor POLITICS AS PLANTS & ANIMALS
has the frequency of use as low as of the conceptual metaphor THE GOVERNMENT
AS A MACHINE.
The conceptual metaphor POLITICS AS PLANTS & ANIMALS can be
presented in thw following mapping:
a) tree


The conceptual metaphor NATION AS A LIVING BODY and THE BAD AS A
WOUND / DISEASE can be mapped as a follows:
a) body

nation

b) disease / wound

bad effects on nation

c) mầm họa

risk of bad effects

d) heat / depoison

solution to bad effects

President Ho Chi Minh was one of the political leaders of Vietnam frequently
using the source domain DISEASE to concretize negative socio-political issues as
well as bad things to concemn and eliminate in his discourses.
Summary of Chapter 3
The analysis of the linguistic phrases containing metaphorical features as well as
sub-class ontological metaphors in the political discourses of the two languages has
helped to clarify the similarities and differences of the role of conceptual metaphors
and their use by political leaders of the two languages.
In this chapter, we have summed and analysed linguistic data containing
ontological conceptual metaphors of the three source domains HUMAN’S
ACTIVITIES, NATURAL ENVIRONMENT and LIVING BODY in English and
Vietnamese political discourses. The findings show that English political discourses

and differences of the conceptual metaphors used in English and Vietnamese political
discourses. In general, the number and frequency of use of metaphors in the English
political discourses are higher than in the Vietnamese ones. The difference in terms of
the number of upper-class metaphors between the English and Vietnamese political
discourses is inconsiderable, which makes it possible to claim that those upper-class
conceptual metaphors found in this language can also appear in the other language.
The difference tends to be found mainly in the sub-class conceptual metaphors as
shown in the two main chapters of the thesis.
The difference in the use of conceptual metaphors in the political discourses of
the two languages may derive from the fact that Vietnamese political discourses tend
to disply the formaility of politics, partly limiting the use of conceptual metaphors of
Vietrnamese politicians, apart from President Ho Chi Minh. Also, the Vietnamese
traditionally regard the use of metaphors as a rhetorical means to beautify the
language, bearing the personal trait and being suitable for literature. Hence, creative
metaphors are not common in Vietnamese political discourses. The only figure
showing creativity in the use of metaphors in his political discourses is President Ho
Chi Minh.
A number of sub-class conceptual metaphors display cultural and living
environmental differences. As a result, cross-language comparing and contrasting the
use of conceptual metaphors prove to be useful.


2. From the investigation of conceptual metaphors in English and Vietnamese
political discourses, we have a number of recommended applications in language
teaching as follows:
According to Lakoff and Johnson (1980), metaphor is embedded in many
linguistic phrases; therefore, blending the teaching of conceptual metaphors in foreign
language teaching promises positive outcome, especially in vocabulary teaching.
Metaphor is significant in the use of language and the complicated structure of
metaphor can help language users understand the systematic relation of objects and