Strict Father

The Strict Father is one of a pair of fundamental set of metaphors described by George Lakoff. The key assumptions include:

• The World is a dangerous and scary place, so fathers need to be tough to survive
• Children are innately bad; that they must be punished to make them conform to the strict father's values
• Mother is the nurturer
• The market takes on the role of father, punishing laziness and stupidity, but reward self-discipline and talent

First looked at in episode 505, this metaphor is used as an implicit justification for capitalism and the free market.

See Also

• The Nurturing Parent