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Policies can then be justified as “letting the market heal itself,” rather than as
deliberate acts of social engineering. Thus, metaphors influence not only
understanding but also responsibility.
The “economy as organism” metaphor is among the most common in both
political discourse and journalism. It conceptualizes recessions as “illnesses” and
growth as “health.” For instance, after the 2008 global financial crisis, major

newspapers wrote headlines like “The Economy Is Sick but Healing Slowly” or
“Stimulus as a Medicine for a Weak Economy.” These linguistic choices guided public
expectations—if the economy is “sick,” recovery is gradual and requires patience. This
framing encourages tolerance for inequality or slow reform, as illness is seen as a
natural, cyclical state.
Another recurring frame is the “economy as a machine.” Politicians frequently
use expressions like “restarting the economy,” “fueling growth,” “fixing broken
systems,” or “adjusting fiscal levers.” This metaphor implies that the economy is a

mechanical device subject to external control. When leaders adopt this frame, it
legitimizes interventionist policies—governments become “engineers,” and citizens
are expected to “trust the experts.” The danger, however, is that human suffering
becomes depersonalized. Unemployment or inflation are not moral issues but
“mechanical failures.”
Meanwhile, the “money as liquid” metaphor (“cash flow,” “frozen assets,”
“liquidity crisis”) evokes natural movement. It normalizes economic inequality
because flows are seen as natural forces: wealth “flows” upward, and poverty “trickles
down.” Yet, as Fairclough (2010) argues, such metaphors mask social power relations
by turning human-made systems into neutral, physical processes.
A further layer emerges when metaphors interact with national ideologies. In
Anglo-American contexts, “growth” is almost sacred; the metaphor of upward
motion is deeply moralized. Words like “rising economy” and “downturn” frame
progress vertically—up is good, down is bad. By contrast, in some Eastern traditions,
balance rather than upward movement symbolizes harmony. The Chinese concept
of 中庸 (zhongyong), or “the middle way,” values stability over constant acceleration.
Thus, linguistic metaphors reflect—and reproduce—philosophical orientations
toward change and risk.
From my observation, students learning economics in English adopt these
metaphors uncritically. When a concept like “economic growth” is taught through
diagrams showing upward arrows, it implicitly conveys that growth is the ultimate
goal. Rarely do we ask whether perpetual growth is compatible with sustainability or
social well-being. This demonstrates how metaphors do not just help us understand
ideas—they teach us what to value.
Therefore, metaphors are not neutral cognitive tools. They are ideological
structures embedded in language that direct perception, emotion, and action.
Recognizing them allows us to think about the economy more critically and
humanely.
While metaphors shape thought, culture gives them moral meaning. Every
society interprets economic success through its moral codes, and language is the
medium through which those codes are expressed.
In Uzbekistan, for instance, wealth without fairness is socially suspect. The
proverb “pul bor joyda obro‘ bor” (“where there is money, there is respect”) 39

acknowledges the social influence of wealth but not necessarily its moral legitimacy.

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