Page 45 - Gabrijela Kišiček and Igor Ž. Žagar (eds.), What do we know about the world? Rhetorical and argumentative perspectives, Digital Library, Educational Research Institute, Ljubljana 2013
P. 45
umentation as Polyphony: 45
One Speaker, Several Voices
Igor Ž. Žagar, Educational Research Institute
and University of Primorska
Summary
For almost 40 years a French linguist Oswald Ducrot has been developing a new the-
ory of argumentation, a theory of “argume nta tion in the language-system” (TAL), a
theory that explores the argumentative potential of language as a system. TAL tries
to show how certain argumentative features and argumentative orientation(s) are al-
ready written in the lexical and syntactical constructions; how, on certain levels, lan-
guage seems to argue by and for itself; and how it can (and does) impose restrictions
on our own (dialogical and interactive) argumentation.
This paper will show how Bakhtin’s concepts of reported speech and dialogism were
“borrowed” by Ducrot and elaborated into one of the key concepts of TAL, the con-
cept of polyphony. The shaping and transformations of Ducrot’s theory will be pre-
sented, why and how the concept of polyphony was (and had to be) introduced, how it
was expanded and supplemented with the concept of topoi, as well as how these two
concepts are used within TAL.
Key words: polyphony, topoi, argumentative orientation, argumentation in the lan-
guage-system, Ducrot
For almost 40 years a French linguist Oswald Ducrot (1972; 1973;
1980; 1983 (with J. C. Anscombre); 1984; 1996; 2009) has been try-
ing to develop his own theory of argumentation – a theory very
different from the “mainstream” argumentation theories –, a theory of
“argumentation in the language-system” (TAL from now on).
In this paper, I will try to shed some light on the shaping and the de-
velopment of this theory, the transformation of its conceptual apparatus
One Speaker, Several Voices
Igor Ž. Žagar, Educational Research Institute
and University of Primorska
Summary
For almost 40 years a French linguist Oswald Ducrot has been developing a new the-
ory of argumentation, a theory of “argume nta tion in the language-system” (TAL), a
theory that explores the argumentative potential of language as a system. TAL tries
to show how certain argumentative features and argumentative orientation(s) are al-
ready written in the lexical and syntactical constructions; how, on certain levels, lan-
guage seems to argue by and for itself; and how it can (and does) impose restrictions
on our own (dialogical and interactive) argumentation.
This paper will show how Bakhtin’s concepts of reported speech and dialogism were
“borrowed” by Ducrot and elaborated into one of the key concepts of TAL, the con-
cept of polyphony. The shaping and transformations of Ducrot’s theory will be pre-
sented, why and how the concept of polyphony was (and had to be) introduced, how it
was expanded and supplemented with the concept of topoi, as well as how these two
concepts are used within TAL.
Key words: polyphony, topoi, argumentative orientation, argumentation in the lan-
guage-system, Ducrot
For almost 40 years a French linguist Oswald Ducrot (1972; 1973;
1980; 1983 (with J. C. Anscombre); 1984; 1996; 2009) has been try-
ing to develop his own theory of argumentation – a theory very
different from the “mainstream” argumentation theories –, a theory of
“argumentation in the language-system” (TAL from now on).
In this paper, I will try to shed some light on the shaping and the de-
velopment of this theory, the transformation of its conceptual apparatus
