Author: Lassan E.

Title: Lingvistika kak angazhirovannoe znanie

Journal: Proceedings of Ural State Pedagogical University. Linguistics.

Year: 2006

Volume: 19

Pages: 149-161

Language of publication: Russian

 

 

LASSAN E.

 

LINGUISTICS AS ENGAGED KNOWLEDGE

 

The article deals with revelation of “beliefs” in political discourse and different ways of penetration in “the inmost recesses of life” of politicians. One of this ways is the search of key-words, showing cognitive conditions of a person. These key-words can include rational knowledge as well as true preferences, intentions and beliefs. As an example the author analyzes how key-words “justice” and “order” function in Russian, Lithuanian and German political discourse. In the end the author notes that all said above can give linguistic the status of a science that can diagnose political condition and the condition of political mind. Linguistics can make conclusions about sincerity of the speaker, about the sources of ideas and ethical character of discourse in general. This induces the linguist to axiological activity. If the text is close to some entity of texts that express negative ideology (fascism, Stalinism), then the task of a scientist will be to speak about it and warn the society about “dangerous” facts. In this case linguistic knowledge becomes engaged: by judging some texts it plays a role in agitation the society “for” or “against” one or other politician.