Manipulation through Presuppositions in the context of International Politics

Abstract

This paper is based on the Critical Discourse Analysis of dominant political
discourse. It focusses on the analysis of presupposition as discursive strategies of the
dominant group to manipulate the subordinate groups and to suppress their
ideologies. The theoretical base of the study is Norman Fairclough’s (1992a) concept
of presuppositions. He (1992a, 1992b) finds presuppositions a part of intertextuality
which exposes the manipulation and ideologies of the social actors in a power
structure. The paper concludes that dominant political actors strive to construct and
sustain the power relations and hegemony in the world political order.
Presuppositions are discursive tools which help them to achieve their power goals.
They use presuppositions to manipulate and suppress the ideologies of the other
group which help them to legitimize their own ideologies.