A Manifesto for Manifestos!
I am certain that most of you have heard of this word called Manifesto. The most famous example is the ‘Communist Manifesto’ by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles that took the entire world by storm in the 1800s with its’ radical views and ideas.
But do we really understand and appreciate this tool called Manifesto?
What is a Manifesto?
Let’s dive deeper into the world of Manifestos:
A manifesto is a public declaration of policy and aims, especially one issued before an election by a political party or candidate (“Manifesto”).
- According to T.B. Farrell, “Manifestos of nationalism, revolution, and religious reform were prominent forms of expression from the seventeenth century” (Jasinski 353). Manifesto writing mainly flourished in Europe and North America during this time period.
- The term manifesto is derived from the Latin word manifestus, which means “hit by the band”. A manifesto is a type of verbal or linguistic slap directed at unjust and oppressive social conditions. It is a mode of public denunciation aimed at those who perpetuate social oppression and injustice (Jasinski 353).
An example of this is the Black Women’s Manifesto by Third World Women’s Alliance. It is both an anti-racism and anti-capitalism (in addition to anti-sexism) manifesto which rejects the limited idea of the female as a “matriarchal villain or a step stool baby-maker”. It attempts to give voice to the black woman marginalised by the predominantly white (and wealthy) feminist movement of the late 60s and early 70s (“Essential”).
- “Manifestos are discursive games that enable a critical, practical imagination to be exercised.” “They are both creatively destructive and destructively creative- destroy to build a new” (“A Theory”).
- Manifestos have a very deep purpose in the world. They terminate the past to build new contexts, worlds and realities. Manifestos are in many cases responsible for starting a movement- they shape history, ideologies and opinions. It uses language ‘far more than to reflect/describe reality’. A manifesto in itself performs an action. A manifesto believes that a person has the ability change his/her reality as well as the course history is going to take.
Lyon (1991) talks about how “this genre has played so decisive a role in the history of radical democracy and dissent has received little theoretical [and, we might add, critical] attention in this country” (This country being Europe) (Jasinski 353).
Manifesto is known as a “movement genre”- it shapes ideas and opinions or in other words it is a discursive force that influences people. In order to do this, manifestos need to have roots in persuasion and power.
For example, Martin Luther King Jr.’s: I Have a Dream speech (yes, it is a type of manifesto) is considered one of the most famous speeches in history. His triumph with this speech brought favourable exposure to his movement, and eventually helped secure the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. This manifesto is a form of a speech played a pivotal role in shaping not only African-American history but the history of the world.
The aim of a manifesto is to change society as a whole. It is to provoke enough people, to quote Steve Jobs, ‘to make a dent in the universe’.
But, are manifestos still the same today?
During the 1960s, the manifesto experienced a revival, becoming a part of the atmosphere as it was in Europe before and after the First World War. “One anthology, BAMN (By Any Means Necessary): Outlaw Manifestos and Ephemera, 1965–70 (1971), described some of the situations in which the manifesto might have appeared and the forms it might have taken:
perhaps it caught your eye as a flyposter, nailed to a tree, published in a “now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t” magazine or news-sheet. It could have been incanted at a wedding service, passed round as trading cards, posted as a chain letter, read on a menu. It may even have whizzed past your head while wrapped round a brick (“Manifestos”).
Over the years, the definition of manifesto has evolved. Today the manifesto is experiencing a rebirth and revival of a very different kind. With the Internet boom in the past few years, manifestos can be seen in every sector- be it arts, music, academia, lifestyle etc. “It has of late become tame, even cute: an un-troubling, un-ironic, fully digested meme for the attention deficient. The new wave of “inspirational” self-help manifestos — as if the vast majority of manifestos weren’t inspirational — demonstrates the malleability of the form” (“Manifestos”).
Today even these are considered to be a manifestos:
Dead Poet’s Society- Challenging conformity (destroying present to build anew) and preaching how to make the most of opportunities one has.
A Single Girl’s Dating Manifesto: A manifesto to help single girls with dating by providing a list of ‘rules of the game’ a girl must follow before/while dating someone
The Surrealist Manifesto (Salvador Dali)- A personal manifesto (Need I say more?)
Holstee Manifesto: A declaration of the lifestyle the brand Holstee wanted to create for themselves and then build their business to reflect. This company manifesto went completely viral and its related merchandise generated the highest revenue for the company.
Check this page or this page, for more examples of manifestos!
What are the features of a Manifesto?
Having understood what is a manifesto and what constitutes as a manifesto it is important to now understand what the features of a manifesto are-
- There are no clear rules of its shape or in the way a manifesto is presented. Some manifestos are long, some are short, some are a set of convictions and some are written as a story. However , a manifesto has to entail either the intentions, motives or views of the person who is writing it or a combination of these three (“The Æternity”). The examples shown above perfectly describe this point- each manifesto is written/presented in a different format.
- “Manifestos usually include a list of numbered tenets. It conveys a sense of urgency and straight talk” (“Manifestos”). Though this is format is used by many it is NOT the norm like mentioned in point 1.
- The older manifestos are bitter, harsher and critical in nature. But this does not necessarily hold true in the current scenario. Remember this cute manifesto we mentioned before?
- Manifestos establish group identities. According to Lyon (1991), the pronoun used in manifestos is ‘we’- when the manifesto is speaking against the so-called perpetrators it is speaking on behalf of the collective. For example, “We” know who “we” are through “our” opposition to those others (Jasinski 353).
- Manifestos have a differentiating quality- differentiating from dominant, emerging or existent culture(s). This contributes to a social and political polarisation as well as reinforces the idea of group identities (Jasinski 353).
- “What differentiates one group from another is found in the another element of the manifesto-to articulate principles and a program of action. Manifestos routinely announce the concrete goals of movements and inscribe such movements’ guiding principles” (Jasinski 353).
- Argumentative strategies used by the authors to capture the audience. Manifestos use an exhortative, almost prophetic, epigrammatic, declarative style which directly challenges the oppressors. It also uses foreshortened, impassioned, and highly selective language (Jasinski 354).
- Use of persuasion and threat as stylistic devices: An important feature of manifestos is that it incorporates argument ad baculum. “Argumentum ad baculum is the fallacy committed when one appeals to force or the threat of force to bring about the acceptance of a conclusion. One participates in argumentum ad baculum when one points out the negative consequences of holding the contrary position (e.g.: believe what I say, or I will hit you// e.g.: ‘veiled threat in communist manifesto’). It is a specific case of the negative form of an argument to the consequences” (“Argumentum”).
- Use of logos (reason) and pathos (emotions), ethos (character/credibility) to win over/convince the audience. For example, in the Communist Manifesto we can clearly see how these are used- Ethos is seen through the credibility of the authors. Marx was a philosopher, economist, historian, sociologist, political theorist, journalist and socialist revolutionary. Logos- the authors used hard-hitting facts that prove how capitalism is inherently unstable. Pathos is seen in many instances when the authors argue that the elimination of social classes cannot come about through reforms or changes in government but rather, only through a revolution which needed the people to come together and fight the oppression they were facing.
- Part of the attraction of the manifesto is that it remains a surprisingly complex and often paradoxical genre: flippant and sincere, prickly and smooth, logical and absurd, material and immaterial, shallow and profound.
But is it really all good in the hood?
There have been very limited number of critical studies of the manifesto genre which has led to negligible critique of it. Some scholars like Farrell, Pearce and Lyon have tried to focus on the ‘tensions’ in this genre.
Lyon (1991) wanted to probe “the rhetorical tensions that make manifesto[s) both functional and problematic” (p. 101). For example, one of these tensions is between “the manifesto’s inflated and catachrestic rhetoric,” which frequently is interpreted as “the very discursive model of the lunatic” (p. 101 ), and the manifesto’s concrete political agenda. The manifesto, then, emerges in a precarious space “between lunacy and social praxis” (Jasinski 354).
My manifesto to help write manifestos:
Now that we know examples and features/characteristics of a manifesto, let us see how we can write one!
Teresa Ebert in her paper on ‘Manifesto as Theory and Theory as Material Force’ talks about the struggles of manifesto writing:
“The manifesto is writing in struggle. It is writing on the edge where textuality is dragged into the streets and language is carried to the barricades. It is writing confronting established practices in order to open up new spaces for oppositional praxis. In the manifesto, more than any other genre, the sign becomes, to use Voloshinov’s words, “an arena of the class struggle”. This is another way of saying that the manifesto is the genre of change-writing, of transformative textuality and the textuality of transformation” (Ebert 553).
It is true that manifesto writing is a challenging process, but as mentioned above, it is no longer only limited to life-changing events. Today, there has been a shift in the purpose behind why manifestos are written- from writing about nationalistic, religious, political (political party) ideologies the focus has shifted to practically everything (corporate world, art, music, dating? etc.). It has now become a part of popular culture and used as tool to bring about a change in everyday things (E.g.: Breakfast: a manifesto)
Manifestos can be written by anyone and everyone.
Presenting: The dummies guide to writing a manifesto//A manifesto for manifesto writing
Since Manifestos usually include a list of things one should/should not do, here is a list of things to keep in mind while writing a manifesto-
- FIGHT FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN (or else be doomed for life)- Taking inspiration from Valerie Solanas’s SCUM Manifesto (1967), “Life in this society being, at best, an utter bore and no aspect of society being at all relevant to any human being; there remains to civic-minded, responsible, thrill-seeking individuals only waiting to overthrow the government, eliminate the money system, institute complete automation and destroy any injustice. In order to be this change/challenge/provoke, WRITE MANIFESTOS and make sure you are heard.”
- Your environment matters- First things first, go to your happy place (not just mentally but also physically). The place where you write/think about your manifesto is a major variable that determines how it will pan out. My critical writing professor says, “Some people like to sit in libraries, some in their rooms, while some prefer to sit in parks to read. Some people like to listen to calm, ambient music while reading (writing/thinking), while some prefer pin drop silence…Go head and experiment with various possibilities and figure out what works best for you. The one thing I strongly recommend is to ensure that you put your phones away while you are dealing with your (writings) readings. Attention deficiency is a major problem that our generation faces due to advancements in media and technology, and the only way we can deal with this is to temporarily shut off our social media devices...Stop refreshing your facebook, whatsapp and instagram while you read! Treat yourself to the dopamine that surges through the brain on seeing lots of social media notifications, only after you have done your reading (writing/thinking).” (Gupta p. 1)
- Know what you want to write about- This is the crux of your manifesto. You first need to figure out the topics you want to write about. These are the areas of your life for which you want to declare your principles. Start off by noting down a few options!
- Set down your principles and develop your ideas- Write down your vision (the type of world that you dream about and wish to create), opinions (what you believe, your stance on a particular topic), and intentions (what you intend to do), about each of the topics you chose. A manifesto is an opportunity for you to lay your cards on the table so develop the ideas you like the best. You can create mind-maps for all your topics for clarity.
- Research, research, research- Go one step further and do your research thoroughly. This will help you develop your ideas better and give you credibility (remember: ethos?). All your arguments should be backed by solid research from credible sources. Go through manifestos written by others to get more insights.
- Think about your audience- It is important to know who you want to communicate with. Your language, style of writing, the level of logos or persuasion etc. depends on what on who the audience is.
- Avoid long, complicated words- Brownie points for being concise and using clear language! Use affirmative and strong language to persuade the audience- don’t leave things open-ended. It doesn’t matter if it is long or short, what matters is the content!
- Remember Manifestos are fiction dressed in facts! (“Manifestos”)
- Important principles: Do not forget integrate certain important principles in your writing- a) CER: Claim, Evidence & Reasoning; b) ROC: Relevance, Order and Connectivity; c) Logos, Pathos (not too much) and Ethos
- Just write- Once you are done with the points mentioned above, just take a sheet of paper (laptop, notes, tablet-whatever works for you) and WRITE. This will help you create a skeleton structure/outline for your first draft.
- How to edit- Thoroughly read your outline. Use a colour code to start marking out areas you like, need improvement or want to eliminate. You can also make notes/comments in the margin while you are reading. Post this process, you can make a second mind-map which can be a detailed plan on what you want to write in each paragraph.
- “Manifestos are magic (almost). The last century is littered with manifestos full of failed dreams and dreams that turned into nightmares, but some manifestos mark the beginning of a path to realizatdion. Most manifestos are written from the point of view of disillusionment struggling back to hope — “hope not being hope,” as Marianne Moore’s poem “The Hero” (1932) states, ‘until all ground from hope has vanished’. Manifestos are repositories of a kind of magic and madness that does not exist in any other genre” (“Manifestos”)
- YOU CAN DO IT, YES YOU CAN.- Your first few drafts may suck. DON’T PANIC. IT IS OKAY. Remember Ebert said that manifesto writing is a struggle. Keep trying- you are writing about something you are passionate about!
Let’s try something fun!
Live what you write: Follow the instructions given below to write the first draft of your very own Manifesto!
- Think of something (it can literally be ANYTHING) you are passionate about/feel strongly about. It can be an ideology/even something very basic.
- Write down 5 points/themes that your manifesto will focus on
- Write down a title for the manifesto
- Keep in mind that you need to use logos, pathos, ethos and a clear, powerful argumentative format to put your thoughts forward
Work Cited
- “Manifesto.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Feb. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manifesto.
- “Manifesto.” Sourcebook on Rhetoric, by James L. Jasinski, SAGE Publications, Inc, 2001, pp. 353–355.
- Derksen, Jantine. “The Æternity Manifesto — Æternity Blog.” Æternity Blog, Æternity Blog, 21 Feb. 2019, blog.aeternity.com/the-%C3%A6ternity-manifesto-4949f6a7a40a?source= — — — — -0 — — — — — — — — — — -.
- “Argumentum Ad Baculum.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 3 Dec. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_baculum.
- Gupta, Anuj. “How to Read Actively and Critically.” 2018.
- “A THEORY OF THE MANIFESTO OR A MANIFESTO FOR MANIFESTOS.” THESE DAYS, www.thesedaysla.com/products/a-theory-of-the-manifesto-or-a-manifesto-for-manifestos.
- Dazed. “The Essential Feminist Manifestos.” Dazed, Dazed Digital, 29 Jan. 2014, www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/18674/1/the-essential-feminist-manifestos.
- Hanna, Julian. “The 10 Things All Great Manifestos Need.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 24 June 2014, www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/06/manifestos-a-manifesto-the-10-things-all-manifestos-need/372135/.
- Grammarly. “How To Write Your Manifesto In 5 Steps.” The Huffington Post, TheHuffingtonPost.com, 10 Sept. 2014, www.huffingtonpost.com/grammarly/write-manifesto_b_5575496.html.
- Contributor, Guest. “How to Write a Personal Manifesto.” The Art of Manliness, 7 Nov. 2018, www.artofmanliness.com/articles/how-and-why-to-write-your-own-personal-manifesto/.
- “How to Write a Manifesto: Guides.” A Research Guide for Students, 11 July 2018, www.aresearchguide.com/write-a-manifesto.html.
