Roman Jakobson

Roman Jakobson Ossipowitsch (Russian Роман Осипович Якобсон, scientific transliteration Roman Jakobson Osipovič; * 11.jul / October 23 1896greg in Moscow, .. † July 18, 1982 in Boston, United States) was a Russian philologist, linguist and semiotician.

• 4.1 Primary Sources
• 4.2 Secondary Literature
• 4.3 External links

Biography

Jakobson studied Slavic in his hometown of Moscow. He soon joined the Moscow Linguistic Circle to which is attributed to the Russian formalism, a school that has produced the first theory of the then-new medium of film among others.

Jakobson 1920, as an employee of the Soviet Embassy in Prague, but soon left this position to devote himself again to science. In 1926 he co-founded the Prague Linguistic Circle. In 1933 he became a professor at the University of Brno. In 1939 he fled before the invasion of the Germans from Czechoslovakia after Denmark and Norway, then to Sweden (Uppsala, Stockholm ). In 1941 he was appointed professor at the École Libre des Hautes Études, a French exile University in New York. There he met Claude Lévi- Strauss, he had a lasting effect. In 1943 he became a professor at Columbia University; In 1949 he was appointed professor at the Harvard University. From 1957, he taught the first ever Harvard professor, who is also at the neighboring Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In 1967 he became Professor Emeritus and had until 1974 a visiting professor at the Collège de France and at the universities of Yale, Princeton, Brown, Brandeis, Leuven and New York. In 1980 he received the international Antonio Feltrinelli Prize.

Work

In addition to Nikolai Troubetzkoy, Jakobson played a prominent role as supporters of the Prague School, whose research topics included the phonological foundations of our language. Jakobson yielded particularly in the discovery of general laws by which our language works, great performances. He also worked intensively on the development of children's language and the language of aphasics. Excellent insights he provided for the semiotics, communication studies and areas of philosophy and psychology. His numerous interdisciplinary approaches should not go unmentioned. Jakobson also published on folklore, on film, painting and again on poetics.

The communication model

Based on the tripartite organon model of language by Karl Bühler ( 1934) formulated Jakobson in his essay Linguistics and Poetics (1960), a model that involved accordingly at each linguistic Communication identifies six factors and functions (language functions):

• The context, called by Jakobson also referee, the prerequisite is that the communication develop a referential function, that can convey content;
• The message that can be the subject itself in its poetic function;
• The transmitter, the emotive function returns over its attitude to what has been said information;
• The recipient to whom the message about their conative function can send an invitation;
• The contact called in accordance with the Communications Engineering and a physical channel that is maintained by the phatic function of the message;
• The code whose mutual intelligibility in the metalingualen function of the message is about.

As an application Jakobson while the literary text analysis in view. Maybe Jakobson but helped to popularize a model, which is now often reduced to four (4- ears model) or five ( Lasswell formula) constituents, passed into the core of the learned of " communication trainers " in countless seminars reductionist psychology is.

Jakobson's contribution to literature and poetics

Based on findings from the phonology applies Jakobson linguistic concepts to the poetry and declares: " Poetry is language in its aesthetic function". In his essay The latest Russian poetry he writes: " The adjustment to the expression on the linguistic mass is the only significant moment for poetry. " He said with the expression resulting from the sense of form. The function of language as a social contact is reduced in poetry to a minimum. This raises Jakobson always produce the differences between practical and poetic language. Subject of literature and poetry, according to Jakobson, the literariness (later he called her poeticity ). This means the factor that makes a text to a literary work of art. Jakobson says the way how the sounds are connected to each other, ie the phonetic substance of the language was crucial for the usefulness of a statement. The distinction between phonetics and phonology have been at this thought godfather.

In the analysis of poetic texts for him the intersubjective protection plays a significant role, comparability and verifiability guaranteed. As was the case Humboldt, the subject is only subordinate importance, since language only obeys its own rules and can undermine the conscious linguistic behavior of the subject, or even devalue.

Of great importance for the history of linguistics was his introduction of the distinction ( both at the lexical, as well as at the semantic level ) between markedness and Merkmallosigkeit. While about the term " cat " is an unmarked term is the word "hangover" to be considered as a featured ( with " cat " we mean the animal itself, a gender-specific information is not clear, as we are with " cat " exclusively male cats designate ). After Jakobson reveals the poetic language as a featured particularly in relation to the featureless, "normal" language.

The He founded the poetic function of language of literary texts of linguistic analysis accessible. In his works on this subject he holds fast to the formalism, which was often made ​​a reproach to him. So thought critics, this approach would prevent him from capturing the essence of poetry.

By identifying the language as a carrier of the unconscious, he brings an important input for the subsequent development of psychoanalysis. Jakobson says also that we always choose the right words poetic equivalent of many words. This is according to phonological criteria which color the meaning of the statement loud semantically decided.

Through this identification of poetry as an art that should be the starting point of any scientific analysis of the basics of the language, he privileged they significantly over all other literary forms, which were also often accused of.

" The hidden in the morphological and syntactic structure of the language source of poetry, short poetry of grammar and their literary product, the grammar of poetry, are the critics rarely known, have been overlooked almost entirely by linguists and handled masterfully by creative writers. "

The text analysis by Jakobson

Jakobson's analysis of literary texts is characterized by the following criteria:

In this approach, especially the neglect of the context and the suppression of the observer's point are criticized.

Child language and aphasia

From his studies on child language and aphasia can be seen in general that all languages ​​extreme phonetic distinction - such as between maximum open and closed extreme vowels or consonants between vowels and closed - is common. This phonetic distinctions are what the child learns first and the last aphasic loses. In this regard, Jakobson's studies can be seen as a kind of evolution of language. The so-called inner speech (especially speech production in the dream ), he tried to explain by means of phonetic laws.

In the case of aphasia it comes to combining disturbances that take place on the syntagmatic axis where it is metonymy. There is also difficulty finding words on a paradigmatic axis in the form of a metaphor.

Structuralism Jakobson

Jakobson was a supporter of the structuralist school, including the Prague Strukturalistenkreises and made valuable contributions to their further development. After structuralist way of thinking objects are constituted by its relation to other elements of the system that could not exist without this and will be described in their properties. The Prague structuralism of the 20th century offers functional explanations for immanent explanations and thus opposes the dominant image mechanical- causal relationships. It is claimed that Jakobson had introduced the concept of structuralism mark the first International Congress of Linguists, 1929 in a speech, but this is disputed by several pages.

The consideration of the structure as a linguistic interpretation method can be seen as a departure from the prevailing positivism and atomism of Neogrammarians. Characteristic of the Prague structuralism 1929-1939 is the approach of linguistics in relation to their integration and their origins in everyday experiences and questions. On the relationship of linguistics to other sciences Jakobson said that the interaction between the human sciences in linguistics would find its center and this is both the most progressive and the most precise among the human sciences as a model for all the rest of the discipline. This importance of the achievements of linguistics to other fields of science, he emphasizes again and again in his works.

As a basis for the interpretation of poetic texts he sees the ambiguity. Jakobson also coined the terms iconicity (similarity ) and contrast ( indexicality ). These can eventually settle on paradigmatic and syntagmatic axis (see paradigm and syntagm ). Jakobson also differs between metaphor and metonymy. This so-called " binaristische basic structure " of the language is given to all linguistic operations.

Differences to current concepts of structuralism

Structuralism, the Jakobson represents, differs in important respects from the views of de Saussure. So he contradicts Saussure about in the arbitrariness of the sign and calls for a consideration of the object when it was embedded in the control system that restricts the arbitrariness. The rules of the language codes it sees as features of all languages ​​, such as basic properties such as the separation of vowel and consonant. A radical difference to other points of view is also reflected in the approach of the presence and absence of objects. This would be without the existence of the other can not be determined (as an example of this is the bondage of nasal vowels in nasal consonants and vowels oral to mention ). In this sense, all the characters are motivated by Jakobson in a certain way, unmotivated characters do not exist. He also represents, in contrast to Saussure's views, the opinion that synchrony and diachrony form an inseparable dynamic unit. As a difference to the American structuralism, the dual approach to code and message and sticking can be seen on functionalism. By pointing to the dynamic aspects of both synchrony and diachrony, he thinks that synchrony and diachrony are not insurmountable antitheses.

" The elimination of statics, the expulsion of the Absolute, which is the major train the new era, the issue of burning relevance. Is there an absolute silence, even if it follows only in the form of an absolute concept without real existence in nature, from the principle of relativity, that there is no absolute rest. "

From this statement to Jakobson overhang is to relativity, ie against things as we see them only from our particular perspective, recognize. A major difference to the romantic structuralism is evident in Jakobson's views on the functions of the individual, by contrary to the popular image of the individual feeling and whose orientation in hermeneutics and the subject mentioned only as a function of many.

Phenomenological structuralism

" Structuralism is, according to Jakobson to consider phenomena as a structured whole and to expose the static or dynamic laws of this system. " ( Pichler, 1991, p.101) Thus, it follows from Husserl's views on the phenomenology of language. In his works, Jakobson also refers often to Get stone if he thinks that the phenomenology functions as a fundamental consideration for structuralism. He sees a phenomenological determination in each term.

Jakobson takes into account the subject-oriented issues and the dependence of the judgment ends of their respective position. He advocates the " bracketing of the non-essentials ," rather than the " accumulation and synthesis of existing knowledge " and thus thinks the object itself to consider. Here, however, the attitude of the observer plays a crucial role. This phenomenological setting provides for Jakobson is an indisputable fact that is crucial for the dominance of one or the other language function. The strict adherence to the phenomenology and the resulting suppression of context eventually gave rise to a counter-movement to post-structuralism.

Formalism - structuralism

In 1928, postulated by Jakobson and Tynjanow Prague theses, the mechanistic approaches of Russian formalism, replace the analysis by classifying and Terminologisierung, back and thus make the transition to structuralism dar. The desire for a fragmentation of knowledge should be stored and holistic methods and perspectives soft. Nevertheless, it is of Jakobson's works, a certain tendency to Hegelianism and thus find a connection to the Russian thinking. Again and again he distances himself from the formalism namely, that of a one-sided view of a single aspect, yet traces of its initial characterization by this school can be seen in his work. Jakobson also points to the need for holistic investigation both in linguistics, as well as in the poetry of attention. He replaced the mechanical method by designing a targeted system. He also thinks in terms of the teleological character of poetic language, that this was obvious both in poetry and in everyday language.

On the relationship between art and science

Jakobson sees art and science as two not clearly demarcated areas. With regard to the poetry and creativity of the language he sees the boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred. Since the poetry takes up no truth value, but only in the speech the functionality of language reveals itself, it represents for him even more opportunities to develop the functional perfection of linguistic fields An analysis of poetry is therefore an opportunity to discover the mystery of language. He revealed so that the poetry as the purest language arts ( see above).

The issues that come up in his linguistic studies are connected to Jakobson inseparable from those of the modern art of the twenties. In this sense, he finds particularly Cubism favor, which is also the starting point for an analysis of Futurism in his view. " The Cubist multiplied in the image an object, showing it from multiple perspectives and makes it tangible. This is a method of painting " ( Roman Jakobson: Jakobson 1979: p.131 ).

Just as the art of the solidarity of the parts that will eventually form a whole, points out, it is the same process that Jakobson also the poetics is given. See the Prague structuralists in art first and foremost a structure later they develop a concept of art as a sign system. Thus no isolated tests are carried out, but the individual structures is always investigated in correlation with other sign systems. For example, the society, the psychology of the author / artist and the evolution of forms are included in the analysis. Jakobson insists on the communicative nature in art and in turn inseparable union of meaning and expression. However, while the communicative character is in arbiträrem terms with the reality, the aesthetic character in the art multiple relationships to reality on ( by that he means the entire context, which includes the recipients in the form of culture).

My Futurist Years

This book is the autobiography of Jakobson, in which he says, among other things about his encounters with major poets or scientists of his time. Here he presents a very turbulent and busy youth who were for his subsequent work of great importance. He himself thought that contact with artists and poets he opened a new perspective and coined his mind. Scripture provides not only interesting background information on the life of Roman Jakobson, but also helps to better understand many of his views and especially distancing of views of other scientists and artists.

Writings

Jakobson published in German, English, French, Italian, Polish, Russian and Czech language. Etc. His original contributions in magazines, newspapers, anthologies, conference reports are largely difficult to reach. A complete edition ( Selected Writings ) is applied to 10 volumes.

Some essay and book titles in random choice:

• Remarques sur l' evolution du russe phonologique comparée à celle des autres langues slaves (1929 )
• K charakteristike evrazijskogo jazykovogo sojuza (1930 )
• Child language, aphasia and general phonetic laws (1941 )
• Preliminaries to Speech Analysis ( with G. Fant and Morris Halle, 1952)
• Fundamentals of Language ( with M. Halle, 1956)
• Linguistics and Poetics: Closing Statement ( in Style in Language, ed Thomas Sebeok, 1960)
• Child Language Aphasia and Phonological Universals (1968 )
• Phonological Studies (1971 )
• Dialogues ( with his wife and colleague Krystyna Pomorska, 1983)

Bibliography

Primary literature

• Jakobson, Roman: form and meaning. Linguistic considerations. Wilhelm Fink Verlag, Munich 1974
• Jakobson, Roman: essays on linguistics and poetics. Munich 1974
• Jakobson, Roman: Child language, aphasia and general phonetic laws. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1992, ISBN 3- 518-10330 -X
• Jakobson, Roman / Jangfeldt, Bengt (ed.): My futuristic years. Friedensau Press, Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-932109-14-7
• Jakobson, Roman / Get stone, Elmar (ed.): poetics. Selected Essays 1921-1971. Frankfurt am Main 1979, ISBN 3-518-07862-3
• Jakobson, Roman / Get stone, Elmar (eds.): Semiotics. Selected texts from 1919 to 1982. Suhrkamp. Frankfurt am Main 1992, ISBN 3-518-28607-2
• Jakobson, Roman / Halle, Morris: basics of the language. Berlin. ( Writings on phonetics, linguistics and communication research. No.1). Berlin 1960
• Jakobson, Roman: The grammatical structure of the language of children. Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences, talks G 218 ( with discussion contributions) 1977
• Jakobson, Roman / Birus, Hendrik / Donat, Sebastian (ed.): Poetry of grammar and grammar of poetry. All analyzes of poems. Commenting German edition. 2 vols Walter de Gruyter, Berlin and New York 2007, ISBN 978-3-11-018362-7

Secondary literature

• Hendrik Birus, Sebastian Donat, Burkhard Meyer- Sickendiek (ed.): Roman Jakobson's analyzes of poems. A Challenge of Philology. Wallenstein, Göttingen 2003, ISBN 3892446377
• Tomás Glanc: formalism forever. In Roman Jakobson 1935: . Nekula, Marek ( Eds.): Prague structuralism. Winter, Heidelberg 2003, ISBN 3-8253-1486-3
• Stephan Grotz: Dealing with tautologies. Martin Heidegger and Roman Jakobson. Meiner, Hamburg 2000, ISBN 3-7873-1531-4
• Elmar Get Stone: From the Hintergehbarkeit the language. Cognitive documents the language. Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main 1980, ISBN 3-518-07916-4 (formally wrong ISBN )
• Irene Pichler: Roman Jakobson's contribution to structural linguistics and poetics. For the history of science of structuralism. Dissertation University of Vienna, Vienna 1991
• Adelbert Reif (ed.): responses of the structuralists. Roland Barthes, Michel Foucault, Francois Jacob, Roman Jakobson, Claude Lévi- Strauss. Hoffmann und Campe, Hamburg 1973, ISBN 3-455-09053-2