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Political Slogans and Logic

Capital Normal University, Beijing

Slogans have always been highly popular in China. They are extensively used in politics, as a typical form of public behavior. They are the most convenient and practical means of mobilizing people. Many political slogans or posters are still fresh in the memories of those who experienced the years of war or revolution in China. The most familiar slogans for people these days are those of the Communist Party of China, which exerted an enormous influence on people’s lives. The English word ‘slogan’ has two corresponding meanings in Chinese: ‘slogan’ and ‘poster’. Slogans are designed to be chanted, exclaimed or shouted by people in public, thus appealing to people’s sense of hearing. Posters are designed to be written, and hence appeal to people’s sense of vision. This paper explores political slogans from the viewpoint of logics. It analyzes their stipulative structure and the implicit presuppositions they contain. It argues that, from a formal point of view, effective slogans should be free from logical fallacy, easy to remember, and rationally demonstrable.

Diogenes, Vol. 56, No. 1, 109-116 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0392192109102160


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