Proceedings of the 2026 2nd International Conference on Education Reform, Ideology and Politics (ERIP 2026)

2026 2nd International Conference on Education Reform, Ideology and Politics (ERIP 2026)

📍Beijing, China🗓️ 1-3 May 2026
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Metaphorical Constructions of Freedom in U.S. Presidential Inaugural Addresses: A Critical Cognitive Discourse Analysis

Authors
Jiale Liu1, *
1University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China
*Corresponding author. Email: 3986510894@qq.com
Corresponding Author
Jiale Liu
Available Online 6 August 2026.
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-601-7_40How to use a DOI?
Keywords
freedom; conceptual metaphor; political discourse; presidential speeches
Abstract

This study examines the metaphorical representation of freedom in U.S. presidential inaugural addresses from a cognitive and critical discourse perspective. Drawing upon Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Critical Metaphor Analysis, the study investigates how American presidents construct freedom as an ideological and cultural concept through metaphorical framing. Based on a diachronic corpus ranging from Lincoln to Biden, the analysis identifies four recurring conceptual metaphors: FREEDOM AS A JOURNEY, FREEDOM AS A STRUGGLE, FREEDOM AS LIGHT, and FREEDOM AS POSSESSION. The findings suggest that these metaphorical patterns function not only as rhetorical strategies but also as ideological frameworks shaping national identity, moral legitimacy, and collective political imagination. The study further demonstrates that the metaphorical construction of freedom evolves in response to changing historical and political contexts while maintaining continuity within American political discourse.

Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the 2026 2nd International Conference on Education Reform, Ideology and Politics (ERIP 2026)
Series
Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research
Publication Date
6 August 2026
ISBN
978-2-38476-601-7
ISSN
2352-5398
DOI
10.2991/978-2-38476-601-7_40How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2026 The Author(s)
Open Access
Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - CONF
AU  - Jiale Liu
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/06
TI  - Metaphorical Constructions of Freedom in U.S. Presidential Inaugural Addresses: A Critical Cognitive Discourse Analysis
BT  - Proceedings of the 2026 2nd International Conference on Education Reform, Ideology and Politics (ERIP 2026)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 331
EP  - 340
SN  - 2352-5398
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-38476-601-7_40
DO  - 10.2991/978-2-38476-601-7_40
ID  - Liu2026
ER  -