Filozofska istraživanja, Vol. 24 No. 1, 2004.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
Language and Values: The Manifestation of Morals in Language. Linguistic-Ethical Treatise
Joško Žanić
Sažetak
The Central thesis of this paper is that language has an immanent moral content which manifests itself on the level of connotation, and that language is, in this aspect, a mean that the society uses to condition us for behaviour in accordance with the moral standards.
First, some arguments are proposed which are meant to show that language is not only a relevant, but an essential aspect of the moral phaenomenon. Then, a distinction is drawn between the manifestation of morals in the use of language, in the moral proposition, and the manifestation of morals on the level of the linguistic sys- tem itself. This second aspect is that which is the subject of this paper.
In the linguistic part of this paper, the notion of connotation is examined, and is defined, in accordance with the structuralist tradition, as the second-level meaning of an expression. A distinction is then drawn between what is termed the historic and the value connotations. The value connotations have the form of prescription (which is the essence of value language, as defined by R. M. Hare) - it is through them that the linguistic system, and thereby our society, intends to regulate our behaviour. They are either positive or negative.
In the ethical part of this paper it is claimed, contradicting Kant, that morality and the feeling of duty are learned through life in the society and not inherent to the human being, and that morals are a mean for securing the existence and the wellbeing of the society imposed on us by the society.
In synthesis, it is shown how value connotations are formed in accordance with what the society sees as contributing to or threatening its existence and well-being, and how we are conditioned to act morally through learning language, because of the grounding of connotations in our emotional system. Finally, some residual is- sues are discussed, among them the semantic structure of the Central term used in moral discourse, the term »good«.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
202958
URI
Datum izdavanja:
2.3.2004.
Posjeta: 1.151 *