Kognitiv krigföring : En diskursanalys av Natos konstruktion av det kognitiva hotet

This study examines how NATO constructs the concept of cognitive warfare as a strategic threat through discursive processes. Drawing on Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe’s discourse theory and Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse analysis, it analyses how linguistic and ideological elements shape and legitimise strategic understandings of a new warfighting concept within the cognitive operational domain. The analysis of NATO’s texts identifies key concepts, contradictions, and hegemonic points of fixation in the discursive construction of cognitive warfare and reveals how science and emerging or disruptive technologies are employed interdiscursively. The findings demonstrate that NATO’s discourse not only reflects a shifting threat and conflict landscape but also contribute to redefining the concept of security and establishing a new norm of warfare. The study underscores the need for practical reflexivity in the construction of threats and highlights the importance of critically examining the ethical and strategic implications of such discourse.