According to Perloff,[1] social scientists and
philosophers have theorized for years about the best methods to craft a message
to influence attitude and or, opinion change. Returning to the previous section’s discussion
on fear messages, a well framed argument will contain the element of fear but
also a recommended course of action to alleviate that fear, or avert the
potential danger causing it. Perloff states that “a fear-arousing message contains
two basic elements: threat and efficacy information, or a problem and a
solution. A message must first threaten the individual, convincing him or her
that dangers lurk in the environment.”[2] The American media is
infamous for presenting the news in a manner that suggests there is always a
danger, and that freedom itself is a dangerous concept. There is always a
problem, and a potential solution. This solution generally leads to less
freedom for the individual and more control for the government.
This method of framing arguments bears
striking similarity to something called the Hegelian Dialectic. This is based on
dialectical materialism[3], which according to Ray
Nunes, who was once chairman of the Worker’s Party in the 1990’s, is central to
the Marxist push for social change. Dialectical materialism posits the idea
that all progress is made through conflict, and, because matter existed before
conscious thought, progress through conflicting matter has brought us to where
we are. The Hegelian Dialectic[4] is based off the ideas of
Georg Hegel and applied to Fredrick Engels and Karl Marx’s theories on
communism. It is also known as the problem-reaction-solution strategy. The idea
is to strike fear into the hearts of the masses, which would motivate them to
demand change and, implement the solution which was already been predetermined.
[1] Perloff,
R, M. The dynamics of persuasion: Communications and attitudes in the 21st
century (2017) New York. Routledge
[2] Perloff,
R, M. The dynamics of persuasion: Communications and attitudes in the 21st
century (2017) New York. Routledge
[3]
Nunes, R. Dialectical Materialism (https://www.marxists.org/history/erol/new-zealand/nunes-marx-mao/nunes-dialectical.pdf)
[4]
Nightingale, Y.C. (2016, May 25) What is the Hegelian dialectic? https://christianobserver.net/what-is-the-hegelian-dialectic/
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