Volume 8, Issue 2 (Journal of Studies in Applied Language (JSAL) 2025)
JSAL 2025, 8(2): 21-34 |
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Shokati Moqarab S, Nabavi-Zadeh Namaazi S V. (2025). The Conceptualization of “Death” in Qasem Soleimani’s Speeches: A Cognitive Perspective on the “Good–Evil” Dichotomy. JSAL. 8(2), 21-34.
URL: http://jsal.ierf.ir/article-1-181-en.html
URL: http://jsal.ierf.ir/article-1-181-en.html
1- Assistant professor, languages and linguistics department, faculty of literature and humanities, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
2- PhD in North American Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. , s.v.namazi@ut.ac.ir
2- PhD in North American Studies, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran. , s.v.namazi@ut.ac.ir
Abstract: (218 Views)
Metaphor plays a central role in shaping ideology and constructing identity. It serves not merely as a linguistic ornament but as a powerful cognitive mechanism that influences how individuals conceptualize their experiences, social relationships, and moral values. In political and religious discourse, metaphors operate as tools of persuasion and legitimation, framing reality in ways that elevate certain worldviews while marginalizing others. Among these, the journey metaphor stands out as a particularly potent cognitive model, widely employed across cultures and traditions to structure abstract notions such as life, morality, and struggle. This study focuses on how this metaphor is utilized in the speeches of Iranian commander Martyr Qasem Soleimani to construct a cognitive dichotomy between good and evil.
The research investigates the following question: Which cognitive paradigms are activated through the journey metaphor in Soleimani’s discourse to represent the duality of good and evil? To address this question, three key texts are analyzed: (1) Soleimani’s political and spiritual testament, (2) his letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader marking the declared end of ISIS, and (3) a public speech addressed to the defenders of the holy shrines. These texts are selected for their strategic and ideological significance, each addressing different audiences and moments in time but united by a consistent metaphorical and conceptual framework.
The theoretical underpinning of the study is drawn from the cognitive linguistic approaches of Lakoff and Johnson (2008), as well as Kövecses (2020), who emphasize the centrality of metaphor in everyday reasoning and ideological expression. In this framework, the metaphor “LIFE IS A JOURNEY” is treated not merely as a linguistic pattern but as a conceptual schema that informs the structure of thought itself. This metaphor, in Soleimani’s discourse, is extended and elaborated into a moral framework in which human life, spiritual development, and historical struggle are framed as a collective movement along a path, toward a morally evaluative destination.
Through qualitative metaphor analysis, the study uncovers how this metaphor serves as a vehicle for moral dichotomization. The metaphorical elements of the journey—including travelers, paths, obstacles, destinations, and companions—are mapped onto moral categories such as virtue, sacrifice, betrayal, resistance, and martyrdom. Within this conceptual model, “good” is associated with the righteous path: the path of jihad, divine guidance, martyrdom, and servitude to God. Conversely, “evil” is rendered as deviation, obstruction, or false direction, occupied by enemies of Islam, foreign invaders, hypocrites, or ideological deviants. What is significant in Soleimani’s use of this metaphor is not merely the identification of an enemy, but the affirmation of an in-group identity that is active, purposeful, and spiritually oriented.
The notion of the “way” (ra:h) becomes a key cognitive and cultural anchor in this representation. It carries with it a rich intertextual resonance from Islamic teachings, Persian literature, and revolutionary rhetoric. In Soleimani’s discourse, the righteous way is aligned with the legacy of the Imams, the Islamic Revolution, and the broader resistance axis (mehvar-e moqavemat). These associations are not accidental but ideologically motivated mappings that serve to bind political goals with metaphysical narratives. The destination, whether implicitly or explicitly stated, is nearness to God, divine justice, or ultimate victory over oppression.
What differentiates Soleimani’s metaphorical usage from typical political rhetoric is its deep integration of spiritual and moral connotations, often overshadowing political animosity. Rather than focusing extensively on demonizing the enemy, the discourse emphasizes constructing a meaningful path for the self and the community. This is a key finding of the study: the metaphorical construction does not primarily function through negation or exclusion of the other but through the affirmative conceptualization of the self and the righteous group. That is, the cognitive mapping prioritizes establishing the “right path” rather than merely condemning the “wrong one.”
This approach aligns with Kövecses’s notion that metaphors are culturally grounded and emotionally charged. In the Iranian-Islamic context, the journey metaphor is not abstract but embodied through collective rituals, historical narratives, and lived experiences, such as pilgrimage, war, and martyrdom. Soleimani’s discourse, by tapping into these shared cultural schemas, produces a resonant ideological structure that blends religious faith, national identity, and moral clarity.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, this study reveals how metaphor, particularly the LIFE IS A JOURNEY schema, functions as a core cognitive and rhetorical strategy in Soleimani’s speeches. By mapping the duality of good and evil onto journey-related elements, he constructs a powerful ideological narrative that legitimizes resistance, glorifies martyrdom, and solidifies in-group identity. This metaphorical structure enables the integration of political, spiritual, and emotional dimensions, making it a versatile and effective tool for moral persuasion. Beyond its specific case, the study highlights the broader role of conceptual metaphor in ideological discourse and contributes to the growing field of cognitive discourse analysis, particularly concerning political and religious communication in the Middle East.
The research investigates the following question: Which cognitive paradigms are activated through the journey metaphor in Soleimani’s discourse to represent the duality of good and evil? To address this question, three key texts are analyzed: (1) Soleimani’s political and spiritual testament, (2) his letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader marking the declared end of ISIS, and (3) a public speech addressed to the defenders of the holy shrines. These texts are selected for their strategic and ideological significance, each addressing different audiences and moments in time but united by a consistent metaphorical and conceptual framework.
The theoretical underpinning of the study is drawn from the cognitive linguistic approaches of Lakoff and Johnson (2008), as well as Kövecses (2020), who emphasize the centrality of metaphor in everyday reasoning and ideological expression. In this framework, the metaphor “LIFE IS A JOURNEY” is treated not merely as a linguistic pattern but as a conceptual schema that informs the structure of thought itself. This metaphor, in Soleimani’s discourse, is extended and elaborated into a moral framework in which human life, spiritual development, and historical struggle are framed as a collective movement along a path, toward a morally evaluative destination.
Through qualitative metaphor analysis, the study uncovers how this metaphor serves as a vehicle for moral dichotomization. The metaphorical elements of the journey—including travelers, paths, obstacles, destinations, and companions—are mapped onto moral categories such as virtue, sacrifice, betrayal, resistance, and martyrdom. Within this conceptual model, “good” is associated with the righteous path: the path of jihad, divine guidance, martyrdom, and servitude to God. Conversely, “evil” is rendered as deviation, obstruction, or false direction, occupied by enemies of Islam, foreign invaders, hypocrites, or ideological deviants. What is significant in Soleimani’s use of this metaphor is not merely the identification of an enemy, but the affirmation of an in-group identity that is active, purposeful, and spiritually oriented.
The notion of the “way” (ra:h) becomes a key cognitive and cultural anchor in this representation. It carries with it a rich intertextual resonance from Islamic teachings, Persian literature, and revolutionary rhetoric. In Soleimani’s discourse, the righteous way is aligned with the legacy of the Imams, the Islamic Revolution, and the broader resistance axis (mehvar-e moqavemat). These associations are not accidental but ideologically motivated mappings that serve to bind political goals with metaphysical narratives. The destination, whether implicitly or explicitly stated, is nearness to God, divine justice, or ultimate victory over oppression.
What differentiates Soleimani’s metaphorical usage from typical political rhetoric is its deep integration of spiritual and moral connotations, often overshadowing political animosity. Rather than focusing extensively on demonizing the enemy, the discourse emphasizes constructing a meaningful path for the self and the community. This is a key finding of the study: the metaphorical construction does not primarily function through negation or exclusion of the other but through the affirmative conceptualization of the self and the righteous group. That is, the cognitive mapping prioritizes establishing the “right path” rather than merely condemning the “wrong one.”
This approach aligns with Kövecses’s notion that metaphors are culturally grounded and emotionally charged. In the Iranian-Islamic context, the journey metaphor is not abstract but embodied through collective rituals, historical narratives, and lived experiences, such as pilgrimage, war, and martyrdom. Soleimani’s discourse, by tapping into these shared cultural schemas, produces a resonant ideological structure that blends religious faith, national identity, and moral clarity.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, this study reveals how metaphor, particularly the LIFE IS A JOURNEY schema, functions as a core cognitive and rhetorical strategy in Soleimani’s speeches. By mapping the duality of good and evil onto journey-related elements, he constructs a powerful ideological narrative that legitimizes resistance, glorifies martyrdom, and solidifies in-group identity. This metaphorical structure enables the integration of political, spiritual, and emotional dimensions, making it a versatile and effective tool for moral persuasion. Beyond its specific case, the study highlights the broader role of conceptual metaphor in ideological discourse and contributes to the growing field of cognitive discourse analysis, particularly concerning political and religious communication in the Middle East.
Keywords: Cognitive Representation, Good and Evil Duality, Journey Metaphor, Metaphor, Qasem Soleimani.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Discourse Analysis
Received: 2025/05/12 | Accepted: 2025/05/31 | Published: 2025/05/31
Received: 2025/05/12 | Accepted: 2025/05/31 | Published: 2025/05/31
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