Discourse Analysis of Cultural Iranism in Rūdaki's Divan through the theoretical framework of Laclau and Mouffe's

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Dameghan University, Tehran, Iran

10.22075/jlrs.2024.34297.2476

Abstract

This article employs the method of critical discourse analysis to investigate the formation of a discourse, referred to as "cultural Iranism," in Rūdaki's Divan. To discuss the emergence of a discourse, it is first essential to consider the meanings that shape its principles. Therefore, using Laclau and Mouffe's methodology and leveraging concepts such as othering, articulation, nodal point, and floating signifiers, the study has attempted to examine and evaluate the signs of a discourse based on Rūdaki's Iranist ideology. The primary aim of this research is to analyze the floating signifiers surrounding the nodal point of the discourse in Rūdaki's poetry in detail. To achieve this goal, the author employs a descriptive-analytical method to explain the relationship between floating signifiers and various elements of the discourse and their connection to the nodal point. The research findings indicate that the central signifier of Rūdaki's discourse is "Iran," which plays a significant role in directing and determining the horizon of other elements in the text. Additionally, the floating signifiers, in the form of concepts such as "Iranian rationalism," "Iranian love for knowledge," "Iranian voluntarism and free-thinking," "Iranian pursuit of happiness," "pride in Iranian epics," and "attention to Iranian festivals," are articulated in a way that they generally serve the central signifier and find their justification in relation to it. It is noteworthy that Rūdaki's Iranist discourse, aligned with the ideological orientation of the Sāmānid government, played a crucial role in reviving and strengthening the national identity of Iranians.

Keywords

References

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Journal Of Linguistic and Rhetorical Studies
Volume 16, Issue 40
In Progress
June 2025
Pages 211-246

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