scholarly journals The Possibility of Universal Semiotics of Law

2021 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 317-331
Author(s):  
Miklós Szabó

The universality of human language above the diversity of vernaculars as theorized by Noam Chomsky creates the temptation to adapt the same idea to law. There are parallels between language and law, e.g., Latin language and Roman law, the universality, formality, and generativity of the two and the embeddedness of law in language. Chomsky’s universal generative grammar is applicable to law in a direct way but the theory is still extendable to semantics and pragmatics of law. The claim is that generating constructions of elemental constituents is an approved technique of law and jurisprudence as much as of linguistics. The pragmatic dimension of semiotics of law shows the significant contribution of law to consolidating social role of speech acts.

2019 ◽  
Vol 96 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-418
Author(s):  
Claudia Bianchi

According to Mitchell Green, speech act theory traditionally idealizes away from crucial aspects of conversational contexts, including those in which the speaker’s social position affects the possibility of her performing certain speech acts. In recent times, asymmetries in communicative situations have become a lively object of study for linguists, philosophers of language and moral philosophers: several scholars view hate speech itself in terms of speech acts, namely acts of subordination (acts establishing or reinforcing unfair hierarchies). The aim of this paper is to address one of the main objections to accounts of hate speech in terms of illocutionary speech acts, that is the Authority Problem. While the social role of the speaker is the focus of several approaches (Langton 2018a, 2018b; Maitra 2012; Kukla 2014; Green 2014, 2017a, 2017b), the social role of the audience has too often been neglected. The author will show that not only must the speaker have a certain kind of standing or social position in order to perform speech acts of subordination, but also the audience must typically have a certain kind of standing or social position in order to either license or object to the speaker’s authority, and her acts of subordination.


2021 ◽  
pp. 169-182
Author(s):  
Giovanni Tuzet

This chapter explores a number of pragmatic aspects of the evidentiary discourse. By calling them “pragmatic” the author refers to the aspects that are typically the province of “pragmatics” and can be generically defined as the study of the use of language in context; and by “evidence discourse” he refers to the discourse that is carried out about juridical evidence. This discussion restates the basic distinction between semantics and pragmatics and then addresses the nature of the speech acts in evidence discourse, the role of implicatures and presuppositions, and the place of deixis, i.e., the use of indexicals and demonstratives. The author claims that evidence discourse is predominantly assertive; that problems associated with implicatures are abated as questioners are skilled and questions are specific; that exploitation of presuppositions is avoided by attorneys’ vigilance and judicial control; and, finally, that deixis reveals the discourse’s ostensive dimension.


2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 3
Author(s):  
Betari Irma Ghasani

Reconsidering the role of apologizing as one of fundamental aspects in speech act learner has become important nowadays. It is argued that acquiring apologizing speech act can build their attitude. The purpose of this study is analyzing semantic and pragmatic of Javanese apologetic speech act, especially with respect how Javanese apologetic speech act expression differ conceptuallyfrom English expression. In order to fi nd out the differences between Javanese apologetic speech act nuwun sewu”and English speech act sorry, I used the natural semantic metalanguage proposed by Wierzbicka (1987). Furthermore, I described some distinguishable features of Javanese culture as well. By using Blum-Kulka (1989) and her collaboration model, I analyzed Javanese apologyspeech act strategies found in several conversations and situations. The fi ndings of my study are the attitudinal meanings of nuwun sewu and sorry, as well as the illocutionary acts associated with the two expressions are different. My study further suggests that conceptualizing speech act expressions, using semantically simple words, may help second learners acquire the proper ways of using speechacts in the target language and culture.


2019 ◽  
pp. 58-65

The article is devoted to the scientific and theoretical analysis of the devices actualizing the content of the speech statements, since any speaker tries to fulfill his/her speech motions appropriately to the expected result.The practice of reaching a pragmatic effect in the communication, at the time of fulfilling the speech statements with special emphasis and precision, may have some specific nuances. In such process the speaker creates a speech statement delivering the information directly to the listener. This speech statement is neither lexical or grammatical phenomenon, but a pragmatic unit. Social role of interlocutors is of concern in choosing particular pragmatic-modal variant of the speech structure. The very process urges the following: 1) the characteristics of the person from birth (sex, nationality, nation); 2) social status; 3) position in a certain situation.


2018 ◽  
pp. 1060-1068
Author(s):  
Galina A. Dvoenosova ◽  

The article assesses synergetic theory of document as a new development in document science. In information society the social role of document grows, as information involves all members of society in the process of documentation. The transformation of document under the influence of modern information technologies increases its interest to representatives of different sciences. Interdisciplinary nature of document as an object of research leads to an ambiguous interpretation of its nature and social role. The article expresses and contends the author's views on this issue. In her opinion, social role of document is incidental to its being a main social tool regulating the life of civilized society. Thus, the study aims to create a scientific theory of document, explaining its nature and social role as a tool of social (goal-oriented) action and social self-organization. Substantiation of this idea is based on application of synergetics (i.e., universal theory of self-organization) to scientific study of document. In the synergetic paradigm, social and historical development is seen as the change of phases of chaos and order, and document is considered a main tool that regulates social relations. Unlike other theories of document, synergetic theory studies document not as a carrier and means of information transfer, but as a unique social phenomenon and universal social tool. For the first time, the study of document steps out of traditional frameworks of office, archive, and library. The document is placed on the scales with society as a global social system with its functional subsystems of politics, economy, culture, and personality. For the first time, the methods of social sciences and modern sociological theories are applied to scientific study of document. This methodology provided a basis for theoretical vindication of nature and social role of document as a tool of social (goal-oriented) action and social self-organization. The study frames a synergetic theory of document with methodological foundations and basic concepts, synergetic model of document, laws of development and effectiveness of document in the social continuum. At the present stage of development of science, it can be considered the highest form of theoretical knowledge of document and its scientific explanatory theory.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-26
Author(s):  
Nazaret Martínez-Heredia

Introduction: Intergenerational education encourages cooperation and interaction between two or more generations through experiences, knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. Objective: The main objective of our research was to know the benefits at the psychological, social and educational level of intergenerational education. Methods: This is mixed-type research establishing relationships between young and old. The sample consists of a total of 94 people, 47 young people (aged between 21 and 40 years old) and 47 older (aged between 65 and 85 years). We promote the development of a mixed methodology to know if after the implementation of an intergenerational program we have obtained benefits in the elderly participants. Results: Considering the results we can say that the benefits at the psychological, social and educational level have been very remarkable of our elders. Conclusions: We must bet on intergenerational relationships as an ideal within our daily practice achieving a healthy aging, benefiting continuity in an active social role of our elders.


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