Is Czech politics ill or healthy? (conceptual spheres of ILLNESS and HEALTH in Czech political discourse)
Abstract
Conceptual spheres of HEALTH and ILLNESS are often used in political discourse to manipulate voters' consciousness and modify their worldview, imposing evaluations and certain associative links, building perceptions of reality, and shaping attitudes toward various political entities and phenomena. The source domain ILLNESS is more productive in the Czech political discourse than HEALTH.
Using the source domains HEALTH and ILLNESS, the speaker refers to the image of a sick, helpless, and incapacitated patient (a political party, a specific political opponent, or the entire country) who surely needs treatment. The speaker represents himself as an experienced doctor who can correctly diagnose and find out the cause of the disease, prescribe treatment, and help the patient to recover.