Language

Style of writing and choice of words

The choice of words in the article “Bad or Mad?” by Sean Spence reflects a formal style – this is typical when writing articles, especially if their topics are discussed from a scientific standpoint. However, despite expressing complex ideas, the language used by Sean Spence in his article is straightforward and accessible.

We encounter frequent negative words and phrases, which contribute to the serious tone of the article: “evil” (p. 137, l. 5), “punished” (p. 138, l. 2), “violence or physical cruelty, such as torture, child abduction or murder” (p. 138, ll. 3-4), “severe antisocial personality” (p. 138, l. 13), etc.

The writer frequently uses the first-person plural – “we” and “our” – to refer to society in general: “In our secular world, where crimes are punished” (p. 138, ll. 1-2) or “we have much to learn about the neuroscience of violent and antisocial behaviour” (p. 139, ll. 1-2). This helps to reinforce the writer’s message that society as a whole is responsible to examine its perspective on evil, while also taking into account scientific evidence and its implications in so...