Voices of Modernity: Language Ideologies and the Politics of Inequality (Studies in the Social and Cultural Foundations of Language, Series Number 21)

This study asserts that conscious development of new ways of thinking about language had a crucial role in modern history, particularly the discovery of how differences between languages legitimated social inequalities. It claims that savages and ancients were judged alike because they used language similarly, in contrast to modern Europeans who used disciplined language in scientific, philosophical and legal projects. Cover......Page 1 Half-title......Page 3 Title......Page 5 Copyright......Page 6 Dedication......Page 7 Contents......Page 9 Preface......Page 10 1 Introduction......Page 19 Making language in the seventeenth century......Page 23 Tradition, orality, and the discourse of others......Page 28 2 Making language and making it safe for science and society: from Francis Bacon to John Locke......Page 37 Francis Bacon and the scientific mistrust of language......Page 38 Language and civility in seventeenth-century science......Page 44 The mission of Locke’s Essay......Page 47 Towards a doctrine of signs......Page 50 The “cheat and abuse” of words......Page 54 Linguistic reform and social inequality......Page 59 Extending the attack on rhetoric......Page 62 Language reform and social order......Page 66 The Essay vis-à-vis the Two Treatises......Page 70 Conclusion......Page 77 Introduction......Page 88 Antiquarian constructions of modernity and the discursive Other......Page 90 John Aubrey (1626–1697)......Page 91 Henry Bourne (1696–1733)......Page 98 John Brand (1744–1806)......Page 103 Philology, relativism, and conjectural history......Page 107 Thomas Blackwell (1701–1757)......Page 108 Robert Wood (1717?–1771)......Page 117 The science of biblical poetics......Page 126 Relativist perspectives on figurative language......Page 132 The translation of Isaiah......Page 134 Conclusion......Page 138 Introduction......Page 146 Hugh Blair......Page 149 The beginnings of society and the origin of poetry......Page 151 Poetry and progress: Gothic, Celtic, Greek......Page 156 The creation and authorization of a Scottish national epic......Page 163 Conclusion......Page 177 5 Language, poetry, and Volk in eighteenth-century Germany: Johann Gottfried Herder’s construction of tradition......Page 181 Language, poetics, and tradition in Herder......Page 183 Conclusion: Herder vis-à-vis Locke......Page 207 6 Scientizing textual production in the service of the nation: the Brothers Grimm and Germanic philology......Page 215 Romanticism, scientism, and textual authority......Page 216 Textual mediations of science and society......Page 221 Textual ideologies and metadiscursive practices......Page 224 History, “inner unity,” and the authority of scholarly metadiscursive practices......Page 232 Creating texts and symbolic capital for nationalist and cosmopolitan projects......Page 235 7 The making of an American textual tradition: Henry Rowe Schoolcraft’s Indian researches......Page 244 Colonialism, commodification, and the production of a national literature......Page 261 Conclusion......Page 268 8 The foundation of all future researches: Franz Boas’s cosmopolitan charter for anthropology......Page 273 Boas’s view of language......Page 275 Tradition, anthropology, and the modern subject......Page 285 The collaborative production of Native American texts......Page 292 Language, tradition, and the anthropological gaze......Page 300 On the cultural limits to anthropological cosmopolitanism......Page 307 Conclusion......Page 311 9 Conclusion......Page 317 Disrupting modernity......Page 327 Epilogue: imagining postmodern futures......Page 336 References......Page 340 Index......Page 366 Cover 1 Half-title 3 Title 5 Copyright 6 Dedication 7 Contents 9 Preface 10 1 Introduction 19 Making language in the seventeenth century 23 Tradition, orality, and the discourse of others 28 2 Making language and making it safe for science and society: from Francis Bacon to John Locke 37 Francis Bacon and the scientific mistrust of language 38 Language and civility in seventeenth-century science 44 The mission of Locke’s Essay 47 Towards a doctrine of signs 50 The “cheat and abuse” of words 54 Linguistic reform and social inequality 59 Extending the attack on rhetoric 62 Language reform and social order 66 The Essay vis-à-vis the Two Treatises 70 Conclusion 77 3 Creating modernity’s others in seventeenth-and eighteenth-century England: antiquarian and philological inflections 88 Introduction 88 Antiquarian constructions of modernity and the discursive Other 90 John Aubrey (1626–1697) 91 Henry Bourne (1696–1733) 98 John Brand (1744–1806) 103 Philology, relativism, and conjectural history 107 Thomas Blackwell (1701–1757) 108 Robert Wood (1717?–1771) 117 Robert Lowth (1710–1787) 126 The science of biblical poetics 126 Relativist perspectives on figurative language 132 The translation of Isaiah 134 Conclusion 138 4 The critical foundations of national epic and the rhetoric of authenticity: Hugh Blair and the Ossian controversy 146 Introduction 146 Hugh Blair 149 The beginnings of society and the origin of poetry 151 Poetry and progress: Gothic, Celtic, Greek 156 The creation and authorization of a Scottish national epic 163 Conclusion 177 5 Language, poetry, and Volk in eighteenth-century Germany: Johann Gottfried Herder’s construction of tradition 181 Language, poetics, and tradition in Herder 183 Conclusion: Herder vis-à-vis Locke 207 6 Scientizing textual production in the service of the nation: the Brothers Grimm and Germanic philology 215 Romanticism, scientism, and textual authority 216 Textual mediations of science and society 221 Textual ideologies and metadiscursive practices 224 History, “inner unity,” and the authority of scholarly metadiscursive practices 232 Creating texts and symbolic capital for nationalist and cosmopolitan projects 235 7 The making of an American textual tradition: Henry Rowe Schoolcraft’s Indian researches 244 Colonialism, commodification, and the production of a national literature 261 Conclusion 268 8 The foundation of all future researches: Franz Boas’s cosmopolitan charter for anthropology 273 Boas’s view of language 275 Tradition, anthropology, and the modern subject 285 The collaborative production of Native American texts 292 Language, tradition, and the anthropological gaze 300 On the cultural limits to anthropological cosmopolitanism 307 Conclusion 311 9 Conclusion 317 Disrupting modernity 327 Epilogue: imagining postmodern futures 336 References 340 Index 366 Language And Tradition Have Long Been Relegated To The Sidelines As Scholars Have Considered The Role Of Politics, Science, Technology And Economics In The Making Of The Modern World. This Novel Reading Of Over Two Centuries Of Philosophy, Political Theory, Anthropology, Folklore And History Argues That New Ways Of Imagining Language And Representing Supposedly Premodern People - The Poor, Labourers, Country Folk, Non-europeans And Women - Made Political And Scientific Revolutions Possible. The Connections Between Language Ideologies, Privileged Linguistic Codes, And Political Concepts And Practices Shape The Diverse Ways We Perceive Ourselves And Others. Bauman And Briggs Demonstrate That Contemporary Efforts To Make Schemes Of Social Inequality Based On Race, Gender, Class And Nationality Seem Compelling And Legitimate, Rely On Deeply-rooted Ideas About Language And Tradition. Showing How Critics Of Modernity Unwittingly Reproduce These Foundational Fictions, They Suggest New Strategies For Challenging The Undemocratic Influence Of These Voices Of Modernity. Introduction -- Making Language Safe For Science And Society: From Francis Bacon To John Lock -- Antiquaries And Philologists: The Construction Of Modernity And Its Others In Seventeenth- And Eighteenth-century England -- The Critical Foundations Of National Epic: Hugh Blair, The Ossian Controversy, And The Rhetoric Of Authenticity -- Johann Gottfried Herder: Language Reform, Das Volk, And The Patriarchal State In Eighteenth-century Germany -- The Brothers Grimm: Scientizing, Textual Production In The Service Of Romantic Nationalism -- Henry Rowe School Craft And The Making Of An American Textual Tradition -- The Foundation Of All Future Researches: Franz Boas, George Hunt, Native American Texts And The Construction Of Modernity -- Conclusion. Richard Bauman, Charles L. Briggs. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 322-347) And Index. Language and tradition have long been relegated to the sidelines as scholars have considered the role of politics, science, technology and economics in the making of the modern world. This reading of over two centuries of philosophy, political theory, anthropology, folklore and history argues that new ways of imagining language and representing supposedly premodern people - the poor, labourers, country folk, non-europeans and women - made political and scientific revolutions possible. The connections between language ideologies, privileged linguistic codes, and political concepts and practices shape the diverse ways we perceive ourselves and others. This 2003 book demonstrates that contemporary efforts to make schemes of social inequality based on race, gender, class and nationality seem compelling and legitimate, rely on deeply-rooted ideas about language and tradition. Showing how critics of modernity unwittingly reproduce these foundational fictions, it suggests strategies for challenging the undemocratic influence of these voices of modernity. Argues that conscious development of new ways of thinking about language had a crucial role in modern history, particularly the discovery of how apparently objective differences between languages legitimated social inequalities