For 15 years, former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky used his Penn State University perquisites to lure young and fatherless boys by offering them special access to one of the most revered football programs in the country. He repeatedly used the football locker room as a space to groom, molest, and rape his victims. In February 2001, an eye-witness alerted Penn State’s top leaders that Sandusky was caught sexually assaulting a young boy in the showers. Instead of taking swift action (...) against Sandusky, leaders began a cover-up that is considered one of the worst scandals in sports history. While public outcry has focused on the leaders’ silence, we focus on the talk that occurred within the organization by key personnel. Drawing from court documents and internal investigative reports, we examine two euphemism clusters that unfolded in the scandal. The first cluster comprises reporting euphemisms, in which personnel used coded language to report the assault up the chain of command. The second cluster comprises responding euphemisms, in which Penn State’s top leaders relied on an innocuous, but patently false, interpretation of earlier euphemisms as a decision-making framework to chart their course of action. We use this case to demonstrate how euphemistic language impairs ethical decision-making, particularly by framing meaning and visibility of acts, encouraging mindless processing of moral considerations, and providing a shield against psychological and material consequences. Further, we argue that euphemism may serve as a disguised retort to critical upward communication in organizations. (shrink)

This chapter focuses on one of the common fallacies in Western philosophy called 'euphemism'. Euphemisms create emotional distance and thus provide a level of comfort and ease when discussing a topic that is sensitive, difficult, or disturbing. In some instances, euphemisms are intentionally used to sway people's opinions or emotions to a particular side, as in the example of politicians' referring to the anti‐abortion position as “pro‐life”, torture techniques as “enhanced interrogation”, or the non‐combatants civilians who die during armed (...) conflict as “collateral damage”. Euphemisms are fallacious because they are intentionally used to conceal the truth and obscure any real meaning; they are soft language used to mask or downplay warranted emotional force. Being ambiguous or vague in meaning brands euphemisms as a type of weasel word. Using honest, direct language and making sure the neutrality deployed is accurate is the best way to avoid euphemisms and weasel wording. (shrink)

The Septuagint (LXX) generally approached the antiphrastic, euphemistic use of ברך [bless] with a literal translation of ברך with εὐλογέω. This choice produced a Hebraism, as the Greek verb is not generally used antiphrastically. The translators may have expected the Greek audience to track with the figurative usage. Job contains four of the six uses of this euphemism, and LXX Job is evenly split between the use of εὐλογέω and the use of more creative renderings. These creative renderings in (...) Job 1:5 and 2:9 reflect the exegesis of the translator.Contribution: The contribution of this research article is its focus on the phenomenon of euphemism in Biblical Hebrew and the implications of non-literal renderings in the Septuagint for a theologically-significant Hebrew euphemism. The article fits within the scope of the journal as a contribution to this special collection on the Septuagint. (shrink)

Over the past two decades, a growing number of large multinational corporations have come to view philanthropy as an important part of their business operations. This has stimulated research on the many different strategies that are pursued by these corporations in their attempts to become more philanthropic while remaining economically responsible. In this situation, some researchers have argued, corporations run the risk of being caught out as hypocrites. Through an analysis of the corporate social responsibility reports of the biggest multinational (...) corporations, this article shows how the risk of hypocrisy is managed communicatively through the use of euphemisms. The article argues that the use of euphemisms makes it possible to communicate both economically and philanthropically without manifest contradictions. Euphemisms, however, are also risky in their own right. (shrink)

This paper examines how euphemisms for terrorism have pervaded the media and the English language for the past few decades. On the whole, a euphemism refers to an agreeable expression that has replaced a more unpleasant one, even though the latter is more accurate and truthful. This analysis attempts to answer the following question: do euphemisms for terrorism help the international community? A major conclusion is that euphemisms are dangerous because they constitute language manipulation and separate the message from (...) the meaning. By calling terrorists ‘radicals’, ‘insurgents’, or ‘rebels’, Western media and governments operate on the principle of semantic deviance and deflect attention away from reality. This could cause citizens to lower their guard in times where they should feel in danger. (shrink)

Transparency is important in today’s business environment. The use of euphemisms decreases transparency yet is increasing in business and business education. This study examines the effects of euphemism on people’s attitudes toward actions and their intentions to perform those actions. It also measures the effect of oversight on attitudes and behavioral intentions. Using a 2 × 2 experimental design, we measured participants’ attitudes by employing a semantic differential scale and behavioral intentions by using a simple yes/no question regarding the (...) action described. A questionnaire with 20 brief scenarios provided the euphemistic versus non-euphemistic condition. Oversight versus non-oversight conditions were manipulated through instructions to participants. Hypotheses regarding the effects of euphemism were supported; participants were both more likely to rate an action as appropriate and to indicate they would take that action when stated euphemistically. Oversight did not have a significant effect on attitude toward the action, but did significantly affect participants’ intentions to take that action. Findings suggest both managerial and ethical implications for businesses. Greater transparency includes more straight talk and less euphemism and is recommended to ensure employees’ understanding and implementation of ethical business actions. (shrink)

Many patients are subject to 'do not resuscitate' orders or are 'allowed to die'. The predominant moral position within health care seems to be that this is permissible, while voluntary euthanasia is not. This paper attempts to consider the logic of that position. It is not intended as a case for or against voluntary euthanasia; those cases are made elsewhere. Instead, this is an attempt to challenge implicit assumptions. It is the experience of many nurses that issues relating to matters (...) at the end of life are far from being resolved. This paper does not try to offer any practical solutions but aims at some clarification of the language used. This, it is hoped, will enable nurses to contribute to the debate. (shrink)

Mimetic theory draws support from diverse disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. But arguably Girard would have even more influence if his theory had stronger life data, and one field well positioned to provide such input is psychology. Girard distinguished his thinking from Freud, while critiquing the psychoanalytic tradition more generally, in Book III of Things Hidden since the Foundation of the World1—a work taking the form of an extended dialogue with two psychiatrists. One of these, Jean-Michel Oughourlian, has (...) begun to develop the Girard-inspired practice of "interdividual psychology."2 In Girard's own hands, albeit to a limited degree, mimetic theory has been applied to mental health issues.3... (shrink)

Emile Benvcniste may be used to introduce the topic. The French linguist begins an essay on “Euphemisms Ancient and Modern” with a paradox about the early Greek definitions of euphemism. “To speak words which augur well” is one meaning given, but another is “to maintain silence”. This initial contradiction is further compounded by yet a third expression, “to shout in triumph”. The dilemma is. however, easily dissolved. To speak words which augur well implies, for special occasions, an exhortation even (...) to shout triumphantly, “to assent by an, auspicious outcry”: it further implies, again depending on the circumstances, “to avoid words which augur ill”, hence, if necessary, to say nothing. As one definition explains “avoid all unlucky words during sacred rites: hence, as the surest mode of avoiding them, keep a religious silence” (original emphasis). Paradox terminates; we are merely dealing with “a euphemism for a euphemism” taking an expression of Benveniste out of context. (shrink)

Can a bomb ever be "clean"? Are we relieved to be warned that there will be an " odor " when once we were told that something would "stink"? Or, to put it another way, when is a euphemism a mark of good taste and when is it a sign of verbal obfuscation? To answer such questions, D.J. Enright invited sixteen distinguished writers to ponder and explore the ubiquitous phenomenon of euphemism. The result is a delightful and provocative (...) collection that not only includes general reflections on euphemism and its history but also treats such specific categories as sex, death, and other natural functions; politics; the language of the great Christian texts; euphamisms spoken to and by children; the law; medicine; office life; and the jargon of official spokesmen, military communiques, and tyrants. Such writers as Diane Johnson, Robert Nisbet, John Gross, Robert Burchfield, and Joseph Epstein bring a variety of perspectives and sensibilities to bear on these topics. Because euphemisms are so intimate and integral to our thinking, any study of them is bound to throw light on the human condition, both past and present. In these essays, humor jostles horror and the homely alternates with the farfetched. Taken together they form an eloquent and often amusing testament to the richness of the subject. About the Author: D.J. Enright is a noted English poet and critic. He recently compiled and edited The Oxford Book of Death. (shrink)

Publication date: 26 January 2017 Source: Author: Mihaela Mocanu The instrument of knowledge and communication of religious essence, the religious language is based upon the recognition of a world of sacredness, which is defined by reference to the religious dimension of the human being. From the semantic perspective, the religious language is rooted in a preexisting extra-linguistic referent, which eludes historic space-time categories, in an attempt to build a world of transcendental essence and establish a relationship between man and the (...) sacred. In this view, the word is invested with magical powers, playing the role of a mediator between the human being living in the world of the profane and the sacred world of the Divinity. Since the word embraces the essence of the named element with the power to shape reality, the religious man pays special attention to the verbal expression not only from the desire to adapt to reality, but especially out of the care not to cause adverse changes amidst it. We propose in this paper to review the main religious taboos specific to the religious language and the description of the pragmatic valences that the euphemistic expression manifests in the religious communication. (shrink)

One of six commentaries on “Obesity: Chasing an Elusive Epidemic,” by Daniel Callahan, from the January‐February 2013 issue.

This article examines how Arabic handled societal taboos in the medieval Islamic world and the ways by which language users applied censorship that led to the creation of euphemisms. Special attention is given to sources from the eastern part of the Islamic world dating to the fourth/tenth and the fifth/eleventh centuries, and to the taboo topics and types of euphemisms they disclose. The complex relationship between the concept of euphemism and kināya, the polysemous Arabic term that renders it, is (...) examined. As a whole, the evidence demonstrates an overwhelming Arabic preference for figurative speech over change of form as the essential generation mechanism of euphemisms. Finally, light is shed on the ways in which discerning medieval literary critics anticipated significant modern sociolinguistic observations: the relations between euphemism, orthophemism, and dysphemism, in addition to the incessant process of euphemism degradation. (shrink)

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is responsible for prosecuting individuals for heinous crimes that take place during civil and/or international armed conflicts, including sexual violence. Prosecuting this crime relies primarily on survivor accounts, but witnesses often fear the psychological effects of giving such testimony, particularly because there is a high risk of retraumatization, a stigma associated with victimhood, and a fear of victim-blaming. Thus, the Court’s Victims and Witness Unit (VWU) puts forth provisions for questioning vulnerable witnesses, requiring, in part, (...) that questioners avoid embarrassing or offending witnesses. Using a discourse analytic approach, this paper examines transcripts from three recent ICC cases dealing with wartime sexual violence—_Bemba, Ongwen_, and _Katanga and Chui—_exploring the discursive strategies employed by prosecutors and defense attorneys in these trials as they navigate arguing their cases before the judges while also tailoring their questions to adhere to the VWU’s provisions. I show that adhering to the provisions often involves relying on euphemistic expressions to discuss rape—which enter the trial discourse through linguistic formulations and reformulations—even though these expressions reflect the language used to discuss consensual sex and not sexual violence. Thus, this method of adhering to the provisions can undermine the prosecution’s case while helping the defense’s. (shrink)

We call it "The essential tool for uncovering what politicians want to hide." Here are what some readers have already said about it: GH "This is a fun book to read. Easy to pick up and set down when you have only a few minutes to spare. I particularly liked the background speculation on how each euphemism arose." MH: "I am so impressed with the invitation to give appropriate credit and a free book to anyone contributing a favoUrite political (...) euphemism for the next edition." MD: "If euphemisms mask straightforward words that are too harsh, too hurtful, too blunt, too embarrassing, too direct, too open or too private, then this book is the opposite. It pulls no punches.". (shrink)

Socio-political developments can result in a change of perception of people with disabilities and increase sensitivity towards language, especially legal language, used in relation to them. Some terms perceived as offensive or stigmatising are rejected in favour of more neutral and inclusive ones. Such terms can often be categorised as euphemisms or orthophemisms (Allan and Burridge in Forbidden Words, Taboo, and the Censoring of Language, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, New York, 2006). With the passage of time, such new words frequently (...) cease to serve their purpose and new ones need to be proposed to refer to a given concept (euphemism treadmill). In order to examine this issue, a number of legal terms denoting persons with disabilities used, currently and historically, in legal regulations in Poland and Spain are discussed. They are analysed in the context of changing the model of perception of people with disabilities (medical model vs. social model). Next, the differentiation between the so-called Identity-First Language (the term denoting disability comes first linearly) and Person-First Language (the term denoting disability comes second linearly, often in the form of a prepositional phrase), advocated by some members of the disability rights movement, is discussed. In this context, important syntactic and morphological differences (word-order, number of the term denoting disability) between English, serving as a model, and Spanish and Polish are focused on. (shrink)

This chapter surveys the linguistic landscape of taboo avoidance and its role in word loss and meaning change. Freud invoked Carl Abel’s “universal phenomenon” of _Gegensinn_ in support of his edict that there is no _no_ in the unconscious. Languages typically do tolerate words that bear opposed or semantically unrelated senses. Only when homonyms share the same grammatical category and context of occurrence does one of them disappear. But in the case of taboo words, “Avoid Homonymy” extends to block word (...) senses or uses even when no confusion would plausibly occur. In this linguistic correlate of Gresham’s Law, “bad” (= taboo) meanings force out “good” (= innocent) ones and generate lexical replacements, activating the “euphemism treadmill.” The potency of linguistic taboo is also on display in the psychology of “etymythology,” which reveals more about language users than the language used. (shrink)

Words don’t just describe the world; they change the world. We do things with words as John L. Austin (1975) has argued. But words can also change how we think about something. In this piece I wish to examine the everyday usage of words referring to strategic fouling, as it cuts across various languages. In some languages this rule-violation gave rise to figurative language after the practice became widespread. We find euphemisms but also dysphemisms, as well as evaluative language (whose (...) purpose here is to excuse the action). This is important, because ‘if thought corrupts language, language can also corrupt thought’ (as George Orwell observed). I will argue that euphemisms and other evaluative language which refer to strategic fouling are a piece of sporting propaganda, aiming to dull our senses to such rule-violations. (shrink)

The motivation of playful blending is circumscribed by the combination of source words with a recognized linguistic similarity (either semantic or morphological), or an oxymoronic effect. Interlocutors may then remotivate the consonant clusters of these forms, if they associate semantic features to them so as to coin other blends.The use of playful blending is aimed at reinforcing cognitive salience (a heightened attention is needed to read the output form). The output form therefore stands out from its environing text of monomorphemic (...) lexemes, derivatives and unclipped compounds. It changes the way one focuses on a referent, either by emphasizing a lexeme which is given high attention, or minimizing its impact on the audience who has to reconstitute the possibly unpleasant source words mentally. This main approach unveils a tree of possible purposes (illustrated with representative samples of data), among which are humour, commercial attractiveness, witticisms to defend an idea, literary aestheticism, euphemism, dysphemism, or idiosyncrasy to be creative or express one’s individuality.Coreferential forms inside and outside playful blending are examined in corpus-based tools, which demonstrates that purpose is utterance-based (i.e. purely pragmatic). Utterances of the same playfully blended forms are analysed in various situations, which proves that while motivation is usage-based and situated on the semantic-pragmatic interface. However, pragmatics sometimes has to take over semantics’ limits to shed light on the motivation of a blend, since the form may remain ambiguous. (shrink)

"Dishonesty inspires more euphemisms than copulation or defecation. This helps desensitize us to its implications. In the post-truth era we don't just have truth and lies but a third category of ambiguous statements that are not exactly the truth but fall just short of a lie. Enhanced truth it might be called. Neo-truth . Soft truth . Faux truth . Truth lite ." Deception has become the modern way of life. Where once the boundary line between truth and lies was (...) clear and distinct, it is no longer so. In the post-truth era, deceiving others has become a challenge, a game, a habit. High-profile dissemblers compete for news coverage, from journalists like Jayson Blair and professors like Joseph Ellis to politicians (of all stripes), executives, and "creative" accountants. Research suggests that the average American tells multiple lies on a daily basis, often for no good reason. Not a finger-wagging scolding, The Post-Truth Era is a combination of Ralph Keyes's investigative journalism and solid science. The result is a spirited exploration of why we lie about practically everything and the consequences such casual dishonesty has on society. American society has become permeated from top to bottom by deception. Its consequences for the nature of public discourse, media, business, literature, academia, and politics are profound. With dry humor, passionate fervor, and deep understanding, Ralph Keyes takes us on a tour of a world where truth and honesty are no longer absolutes but mutable, fluid concepts. (shrink)

This chapter examines the role played by derogatory terms (e.g., ‘inyenzi’ or cockroach, ‘inzoka’ or snake) in laying the social groundwork for the genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994. The genocide was preceded by an increase in the use of anti-Tutsi derogatory terms among the Hutu. As these linguistic practices evolved, the terms became more openly and directly aimed at Tutsi. Then, during the 100 days of the genocide, derogatory terms and coded euphemisms were used to direct killers (...) to their victims. Understanding these speech acts helps to illuminate the important ways that power is enacted through discourse, how speech acts can prepare the way for physical and material acts, and how speech generates permissions for actions hitherto uncountenanced. Studying the role of speech acts and linguistic practices in laying the groundwork of the genocide illuminates how patterns of speech acts become linguistic practices that constitute permissibility conditions for non-linguistic behaviors. Further, the analysis presented here helps to make sense of the view that a steady, deep, and widespread derogation of a group can be part and parcel of genocide, not only an antecedent to it. (shrink)

This chapter examines the role played by derogatory terms (e.g. ‘_inyenzi_’ or cockroach, ‘_inzoka_’ or snake) in laying the social groundwork for the genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994. The genocide was preceded by an increase in the use of anti-Tutsi derogatory terms among the Hutu. As these linguistic practices evolved, the terms became more openly and directly aimed at Tutsi. Then, during the 100 days of the genocide, derogatory terms and coded euphemisms were used to direct killers (...) to their victims. Understanding these speech acts helps to illuminate the important ways that power is enacted through discourse, how speech acts can prepare the way for physical and material acts, and how speech generates permissions for actions hitherto uncountenanced. Studying the role of speech acts and linguistic practices in laying the groundwork of the genocide illuminates how patterns of speech acts become linguistic practices that constitute permissibility conditions for non-linguistic behaviors. Further, the analysis presented here helps to make sense of the view that a steady, deep, and widespread derogation of a group can be part and parcel of genocide, not only an antecedent to it. (shrink)

Täglich verwenden wir Ausdrücke, mit denen wir etwas anderes meinen, als wir sagen. Wir ersetzen Unaussprechliches, wir bleiben höflich, und manche suchen unangenehme Wahrheiten oder ihre tatsächlichen Absichten zu verschleiern. Solche verhüllenden Ausdrücke wurden schon in der Antike als Euphemismen bezeichnet. Ihr Gegenteil, meist krasse Negativbezeichnungen, heißen Dysphemismen. Ob sie als Tabubruch, als Verstoß gegen Konventionen oder als unangemessenes Verhalten gelten, hängt von den Textsorten, den Situationen und Diskursen ab, in denen sie gebraucht werden. Oft geht es um Tod oder (...) Krankheiten, um den Mediendiskurs über Immigranten oder Minderheiten, aber auch um Arbeitszeugnisse oder die Werbung für Produkte und Dienstleistungen. Das alles sind Themen der Beiträge in diesem Buch. (shrink)

Cet ouvrage explique certains usages de l euphemisme dans la diachronie. Il donne aussi un apercu critique des etudes significatives sur cette figure. De plus, il propose de nouvelles theories semantico-pragmatiques et rhetoriques sur le langage fleuri. Enfin, ce livre examine les relations qu entretient l euphemisme avec la litote et l hyperbole. ".

Zygotes are persisting organisms. That is, zygotes are organisms and most born human beings are identical to the zygotes from which they originated. I defend these claims against recent critiques. Chunghyoung Lee, for example, argues that for any zygote, z, z may develop into one of several, numerically distinct infants. If so, then for any infant, that infant is not identical to the zygote from which they originated. If Lee is correct, then zygotes are like gametes, which may give rise (...) to mature human beings, but cease to exist along the way. This, Lee claims, suggests that zygotes are not organisms. I respond that Lee (like many others) confuses zygotic parts with whole zygotes. The error lies in identifying zygotes (and embryos) with their inner contents alone. Zygotes are more than their internal parts, however, just as the reader is more than their heart, lungs, and kidneys. To advance these claims, I defend a version of “zona-essentialism,” which maintains that the zona pellucida—the membrane surrounding zygotes and early embryos—is essential to their identity during early stages of life. By distinguishing between zygotic parts and whole zygotes, I show that Lee’s (and others’) arguments fail to establish that zygotes are not organisms. I conclude by discussing practical implications for finding that zygotes are human organisms. Clinicians and researchers must embrace reality: individual humans are routinely killed in the name of scientific advancement and reproductive autonomy. Failure to acknowledge this—e.g., by using euphemisms to obscure the truth—is problematic. (shrink)

The research addresses a relevant and controversial topic - teleology. Final causality is the keystone without which the construction and consolidation of the paradigm of global evolutionism in the modern scientific community is unthinkable. To make it possible for teleology to return to scientific use, it is necessary to classify its forms and determine which of them conflict with modern scientific thinking. In relation to whether there is a goal inside the defined or outside, there is an internal (immanent) and (...) an external (transcendental) teleology. According to existence of goal only inside of consciousness or outside of it, intentional and non-intentional teleology are divided. Depending on whether the target cause acts in a natural or supernatural way, materialistic and theological teleology are divided. The final cause can replace the efficient one - “miraculous” teleology - or act together with it - complex teleology. Kant separates the constitutive and regulatory application of the target cause. The final result can be predetermined in advance - finalism, or formed in the process - free teleology. The goal can be either in object - object-centric teleology, or in process - swarm teleology. Since the middle of the 20th century, teleological euphemisms - ersatz teleologies: negative feedback, teleonomy, autopoesis, teleosemantics, teleonaturalism have become popular, claiming to replace the concept to solve the very problem of final causality. It is concluded that the external, theological, finalist, “miraculous”, object-centric, and intentional forms are not acceptable in modern scientific rationality. (shrink)

Language, Cognition, and Human Nature collects together for the first time much of Steven Pinker's most influential scholarly work on language and cognition. Pinker's seminal research explores the workings of language and its connections to cognition, perception, social relationships, child development, human evolution, and theories of human nature. This eclectic collection spans Pinker's thirty-year career, exploring his favorite themes in greater depth and scientific detail. It includes thirteen of Pinker's classic articles, ranging over topics such as language development in children, (...) mental imagery, the recognition of shapes, the computational architecture of the mind, the meaning and uses of verbs, the evolution of language and cognition, the nature-nurture debate, and the logic of innuendo and euphemism. Each outlines a major theory or takes up an argument with another prominent scholar, such as Stephen Jay Gould, Noam Chomsky, or Richard Dawkins. Featuring a new introduction by Pinker that discusses his books and scholarly work, this collection reflects essential contributions to cognitive science by one of our leading thinkers and public intellectuals. (shrink)

The aim of this short essay is to highlight and concisely explore—but not address in depth—some cultural aspects related to legal languages, legal interpretation and legal translation. We would like to consider briefly the following questions: How can elements of legal language, as exemplified by proper names and euphemisms, be connected with cultural (extra-linguistic) factors influencing language units’ formation? How can judicial discourse reflect the culture of a given justice system? How can the legal interpretation affect the degree of legal (...) culture? Are theories of legal interpretation universal or applicable to specific legal cultures? What is the impact of culture on the context of legal translation? How can the cultural background affect the decision to use terms in translation? How does cyberculture impact legal translation? (shrink)

Moshe Tati, a sanitation worker in Jerusalem, was among the first of more than a thousand mortally sick Israelis who signed up for illicit and clandestine ‘transplant tour’ packages that included: travel to an undisclosed foreign and exotic setting; five-star hotel accommodation; surgery in a private hospital unit; a ‘fresh’ kidney purchased from a perfect stranger trafficked from a third country. Although Tati’s holiday turned into a nightmare and he had to be emergency air-lifted from a rented transplant unit in (...) a private hospital in Adana, Turkey back to Israel, Moshe became a poster-boy of transplant tourism for the next decade. João Cavalcanti was among the first of 38 residents of the slums of Recife recruited by retired military Captain Ivan da Silva and his sidekick Captain Gadddy Tauber to travel to Durban, South Africa to provide a spare kidney to an Israeli transplant tourist in Durban. This article examines the logics and practices through which kidney buyers and kidney sellers, organs brokers, surgeons and their accessories convince themselves that they are engaged in an illegal but still mutually beneficial ‘medical-recreational’ adventure, an ‘extreme medical sport’ of sorts. While life, health and survival motivate ‘transplant tourism’, a euphemism for human trafficking in spare body parts, the freedom to roam, mobility, is an essential feature of transplant tours for kidney buyers and kidney sellers. (shrink)

The present study explores the political and ideological dimensions of the Arab political cartoons that represent the U.S. President Donald Trump during his second term in office, with special attention to the interplay between the visual aspects of language and textual discourse. Utilizing the frameworks of Multimodal Discourse Analysis and Semiotics, the research explores how these cartoons work as semiotic texts in which the narratives of power and resistance are encoded. Based on a sample of 32 cartoons published in _Al-Araby (...) Al-Jadeed_ between January and July 2025, this paper examines recurring themes: International Relations & Diplomacy; Economy & Trade; and Technology & Elon Musk. The results show that Arab cartoonists employ satire, irony, visual metaphor, and intertextuality to position Trump not only as a political actor but as a symbolic figure of populism, hegemonic excess, and global instability. Such ideological critiques embedded in visual narratives are also coded in the linguistic strategies of euphemization, labeling, lexical choices, and rhetorical framing. The paper concludes that these cartoons act as discursive interventions and perform cultural resistance, offering a distinctly Arab perspective on U.S. foreign policy and the global phenomenon of Trumpism. As the cartoons are source-limited to a single media outlet, future research is recommended to examine representations of political leaders across other media sources. (shrink)

Disputes in Bioethics tackles some of the most debated questions in contemporary scholarship about the beginning and end of life. This collection of essays takes up questions about the dawn of human life, including: Should we make children with three (or more) parents? Is it better never to have been born? and Is the so called 'after-birth' abortion wrong? This volume also asks about the dusk of human life: Is 'death with dignity' a dangerous euphemism? Should euthanasia be permitted (...) for children? and Does assisted suicide harm those who do not choose to die? Still other questions are asked concerning recent views that health care professionals should not have a right to conscientiously object to legal and accepted medical practices. Finally, the book addresses questions about separating conjoined twins as well as the issue of whether the species of an individual makes a difference for the individual's moral status. Christopher Kaczor critiques some of the most recent and influential positions in bioethics, while eschewing both consequentialism and principalism. Rooted in the Catholic principle that faith and reason are harmonious, this book shows how Catholic bioethical teaching is rationally defensible in terms that people of good will, secular or religious, can accept. Proceeding from a natural law perspective, Kaczor defends the inherent dignity of all human beings and argues that they merit the protection of their basic human goods because of that inherent dignity. Philosophers interested in applied ethics, as well as students and professors of law, will profit from reading Disputes in Bioethics. The book aims to be both philosophically sophisticated and accessible for students and experienced researchers alike. (shrink)