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The influence of German romanticism on Russian linguistic philosophy: with particular reference to the period 1844-1891

Phillips, Katherine Hope

Authors

Katherine Hope Phillips



Abstract

The main purpose of this thesis is to draw attention to the valuable contribution made by Russian linguists during the course of the nineteenth century, with particular reference to the period running from the date of publication of Buslaev's O prepodavanii otechestvennogo jazyka (1844) to the death of Potebnja in 1891. This is the period which reflects most clearly the influence of German Romanticism in general and that of Wilhelm von Humboldt in particular. Attempts have, however, also been made to trace a certain continuity of idealistic thought, from the end of the nineteenth century to the present day.
Part One of the thesis surveys the general trends of linguistic philosophy in Germany and Russia during the first part of the nineteenth century and includes a chapter on Humboldtian linguistic theory. This is by way of an introduction to the more detailed evaluations (in Part Two) of the work of those Russian linguists who came under the direct influence of German romantic philosophy during the later decades: F.I. Buslev, I.I. Sreznevskii, K.S. Aksakov, M.A. Tulov, N.P. Nekrasov and A.A. Potebnja. (Chapters I - V and Chapter VII.) Chapter VI of Part Two is devoted to N.G. Chernyshevskii, whose extended commentaries on Humboldt are relevant in connexion with Marxist evaluation of Humboldtian thought. Chapter VIII describes the transitional period at the turn of the century.
The chapters in Part Three are of a more general nature and deal with the subject on a thematic basis. Chapter I evaluates the Russian attitude to national language and endeavours to align historical aspects with modern Soviet tendencies. Chapter II is by way of an excursus, but it concerns one of the most significant and far-reaching of all Humboldtian postulates (that of the world view or principle of linguistic relativity) and its corollary - or extension - in the form of the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis. In the second section of this chapter illustrations are given of the manner in which linguistic relativism has, in effect, already been applied to an analysis of the Russian language itself. Chapter III gives a brief outline of post revolutionary developments, with special emphasis on those aspects of Humboldtian theory which are still considered relevant in a modern context.

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