Page 75 - Oswald Ducrot, Slovenian Lectures, Digitalna knjižnica/Digital Library, Dissertationes 6
P. 75
Lecture IV
that when even is used for a rectification, that is to say to correct what has
been said previously, the two arguments use the same topos. Not only do we
have two arguments for a same conclusion but, when the locutor uses even
to correct what he has just said (to say “I’ve made a mistake; what is true is
more probably this other thing”), in that case, the two segments joined by
even use the same topos.
As from those two hypotheses, and if you moreover accept the idea that
a topos is scalar, you will understand the facts that I have presented. Let us
begin with utterance (1). If my analysis is correct, the locutor uses a scalar
topos, which relates the degrees of warmth and the degrees of pleasantness.
From that, you understand why that topos must necessarily be topos T1. Giv-
en that thirteen is a superior degree of warmth to twelve, a temperature of
thirteen degrees, according to T1, will entail a degree of pleasantness supe-
rior to the one produced by a temperature of twelve degrees. So “thirteen
degrees” will be a better argument than “twelve degrees” for the conclusion
“Let’s go for a walk”. I repeat my demonstration. In string (1), “thirteen de-
grees” must be a more forceful argument for pleasantness than “twelve”, giv-
en that it is used through even to correct “twelve”. On which scale is “thir-
teen” a superior argument to “twelve”? The warmth scale. So, the topos must
be topos T1: Warmth makes a walk pleasant. When you go up the scale of
warmth, you also go up the scale of pleasantness. Let us now take string
(2). There again, there is a link between two scales. The second scale is the
pleasantness scale. What can the first be? Given that there is an even be-
tween twelve and eleven, we know that eleven is superior to twelve in that
first scale. So the first scale must be the cold scale, and the topos must be to-
pos T2: Cold makes a walk pleasant. The principle behind my argument is
the following: in each case, the second scale is pleasantness. The problem is
what the first is. In case (1), thirteen is superior to twelve, so the scale must
be the warmth-scale; in the second, eleven is superior to twelve, so it must
be the cold-scale. I think that if you did not accept scalarity, you would not
understand why string (1) alludes to topos T1 and string (2), to topos T2.
That is the argument (the linguistic argument properly speaking) which I
wanted to develop and which brings in the connective even.
That notion of the scalarity of a topos justifies the introduction of a new
idea: the distinction between topos and topical form, a distinction which
is entirely related to the notion of scalarity. Take a topos relating proper-
ty P and property Q in a scalar way. That topos says that when you move
along scale P in one direction, you also move along scale Q in one direc-
tion: for example, when you go up P, you go up Q. But you notice imme-
that when even is used for a rectification, that is to say to correct what has
been said previously, the two arguments use the same topos. Not only do we
have two arguments for a same conclusion but, when the locutor uses even
to correct what he has just said (to say “I’ve made a mistake; what is true is
more probably this other thing”), in that case, the two segments joined by
even use the same topos.
As from those two hypotheses, and if you moreover accept the idea that
a topos is scalar, you will understand the facts that I have presented. Let us
begin with utterance (1). If my analysis is correct, the locutor uses a scalar
topos, which relates the degrees of warmth and the degrees of pleasantness.
From that, you understand why that topos must necessarily be topos T1. Giv-
en that thirteen is a superior degree of warmth to twelve, a temperature of
thirteen degrees, according to T1, will entail a degree of pleasantness supe-
rior to the one produced by a temperature of twelve degrees. So “thirteen
degrees” will be a better argument than “twelve degrees” for the conclusion
“Let’s go for a walk”. I repeat my demonstration. In string (1), “thirteen de-
grees” must be a more forceful argument for pleasantness than “twelve”, giv-
en that it is used through even to correct “twelve”. On which scale is “thir-
teen” a superior argument to “twelve”? The warmth scale. So, the topos must
be topos T1: Warmth makes a walk pleasant. When you go up the scale of
warmth, you also go up the scale of pleasantness. Let us now take string
(2). There again, there is a link between two scales. The second scale is the
pleasantness scale. What can the first be? Given that there is an even be-
tween twelve and eleven, we know that eleven is superior to twelve in that
first scale. So the first scale must be the cold scale, and the topos must be to-
pos T2: Cold makes a walk pleasant. The principle behind my argument is
the following: in each case, the second scale is pleasantness. The problem is
what the first is. In case (1), thirteen is superior to twelve, so the scale must
be the warmth-scale; in the second, eleven is superior to twelve, so it must
be the cold-scale. I think that if you did not accept scalarity, you would not
understand why string (1) alludes to topos T1 and string (2), to topos T2.
That is the argument (the linguistic argument properly speaking) which I
wanted to develop and which brings in the connective even.
That notion of the scalarity of a topos justifies the introduction of a new
idea: the distinction between topos and topical form, a distinction which
is entirely related to the notion of scalarity. Take a topos relating proper-
ty P and property Q in a scalar way. That topos says that when you move
along scale P in one direction, you also move along scale Q in one direc-
tion: for example, when you go up P, you go up Q. But you notice imme-
