Why Every Word You Write Is a Political (and Philosophical) Act


  • Postmodernism posits that language is a cultural action that actively shapes reality rather than a passively describing it.
  • Derrida, Foucault, and Lyotard lay the foundation for the postmodern notion of subversive language.
  • Language is never neutral, and is either inclusive or oppressive.
  • Removing Confederate statues and training racism out of AI is critical for healing the broken narrative around oppressed people.
  • Simple exercises and habits can help writers harness the postmodern power of language.

I.

You won't catch a Trump supporter referring to "illegal immigrants" as "undocumented neighbors." Far too humanizing and community-building for a contingent trying to criminalize a marginalized community with the broadest and most uncharitable brush in their tool box. There's no such thing as neutral language, and they're weaponizing it to fit a hostile narrative. Postmodern philosophy, spearheaded by thinkers like Jacques Derrida and Michel Foucault, argues that our words don’t merely reflect the world; they create it. Today, as the conversation builds around moderating AI language, and progressive developments in the professional writing community, it's more important than ever that we get some things straight about the power and influence language has over the circumstances we live with in society.

Photo by GR Stocks on Unsplash

II.

“There is nothing outside the text,” wrote Jacques Derrida. His concept of deconstruction reveals that meaning is fluid, shaped by context rather than fixed definitions. And context always matters. What is freedom? Depends on the context. Freedom is calling for something different in a political rally cry than say a break up song by Taylor Swift. Derrida is also quick to caution us about the way binary oppositions perpetuates certain toxic hierarchies like the way we use "civilized vs. savage." When Trump referred to the Covid virus as the China virus it emboldened racists that committed hate crimes due to their leader using language that oppressively reduces the social status of Chinese people associating them with a natural disaster.

“There is nothing outside the text.”  --On Grammatology by Jacques Derrida

Michael Foucault was privy to institutions like governments, media, and academia using language to control narratives to maintain power. Think about the way terms like "hysteria" have been used to pathologize normal emotions women have every day. It's helped patriarchy stigmatize normal human behavior in women to maintain the social dominance of men.

Jean-François Lyotard dismissed universal truths like “progress” or “enlightenment” as tools of exclusion. National myths, such as “America as the land of opportunity,” often erase marginalized voices. If we're going to echo the notion that America is the land of opportunity then we're necessarily committing poverty erasure. Sweeping inconvenient truths under the rug at the convenience of U.S. social status.

Photo by K. Mitch Hodge on Unsplash

III.

Terms like “they/them” pronouns or “BIPOC” vs. “minority” aren’t just labels—they’re acts of inclusion or erasure. Even style guides evolve: the APA now advises against dehumanizing language like “the homeless,” favoring “people without housing.” Not just what we discuss, but the way we discuss them reinforce social attitudes that either empower or break down the people we discuss. Which is why language can never be neutral.

Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God reclaimed Black vernacular, challenging elitist grammar norms. Similarly, authors like Sapphire use fractured syntax to mirror marginalized experiences, proving grammar is a tool of resistance. Which is kind of punk rock if punk rock is defined as anything that agitates the ruling class that brings you joy. That's how I define it anyway.

Photo by Oladimeji Odunsi on Unsplash

Narrative structure also affects the realities projected by language. Linear storytelling reinforces order. But fragmented story-telling can convey unrest. One of my personal favorite animes of all time is Samurai Champloo, and it's use of episodic storytelling meant that there was no plot cohesion between episodes. Each episode was a story unto itself. Which had a lot to do with conveying the value that's built between friends throughout their adventures. Even when seemingly disconnected unrelated developments come up, the meaningful friendships that persevere through episodic conflicts reinforces that the continuity of the story is their human bond rather than the circumstances around the story. Even the soundtrack by Nujabes introduced break beats that helped convey the erratic broken stories of the characters that weave and knot together over the course of the series.

stream battlecry by Nujabes

IV.

Postmodern takes on language can also help us contextualize the hardening culture wars in the U.S. Textbook revisions and debates over Confederate statues exemplify Foucault’s claim: “History is written by the victors.” Which is a big part of why President Trump wants to cut federal funding to any school teaching critical race theory. It undermines the narrative he's built to dehumanize the marginalized people he's trying to shove into military enforced detention centers.

Derrida's warning that language is never neutral rings true in today's AI tech. GPT-3 was particularly sexist leading to some influencers trying to raise awareness to improve inclusive development in the sector. Microsoft's Tay chatbot developed an emergent taste for Nazi rhetoric. Research has further shown that unrestricted language models reflect and amplify the biases of the broader society that the models are embedded in. And nobody needs a hyped caricature of humanities biggest moral failings.

Photo by Xu Haiwei on Unsplash

Corporate policies promoting terms like “pregnant people” spark backlash, highlighting tensions between tradition and progress. Far be it from folks to accommodate trans men. The phrase was often used in conjunction with pregnant women. Phrasing protections for pregnant folks as "pregnant women and pregnant people" drove up tensions with reactionary employees who refused to entertain progressive notions of gender at the workplace. “Latinx,” embraced by some for its gender neutrality, faces criticism for imposing Anglophone norms on Spanish. Which makes this a bit tougher than the "pregnant people" example. Because while the phrase is honoring gender fluidity it's also using the language of an oppressive class to shape the language of people that are directly oppressed by English-speakers. Intersectionality is a hell of a drug.

V.

How can writers harness the postmodern concept of the power of language? Simple exercises and habits can help keep your perspective above the nuanced influence of language. Ever tried rewriting one of your fictional works from the perspective of the antagonist? Writing exercises that shift viewpoints can help build perspective on dismantling dominant narratives with language. Use tools like Hemingway App to spot passive voice or Textio to detect bias. Ask yourself, who benefits from this phrasing? Who is erased? Consider how structural fragmentation can contribute to your storytelling. For example, Tiktok and Twitter threads thrive on nonlinearity. A modern depiction of life's chaos could follow the fragmented stories told from the lens of seemingly disconnected video posts. Invite readers to connect the dots. Trust me, anyone that can jump into a TikTok community mid-conversation and figure out the context will be able to follow your writing.

Writers are cartographers of reality, drawing maps that others navigate by. Postmodernism flirts with writers to challenge the narrative of the status quo and reenvision a new world. Challenge yourself to write a 100-word story that subverts a cultural “truth,” whether it’s reimagining a hero’s journey or questioning a historical dogma. As Foucault reminds us, “Where there is power, there is resistance.” Your words are the resistance.


by Derek Guzman

Independent journalist in tech, art, and philosophy

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