What Writing Means. Victor Klemperer and the Foundation of Political Linguistics

The aim of this contribution is to underline the importance of the works of V. Klemperer in forming a critical theory of society that is entirely based on the analysis of discourse representations. The study envisages three major directions for research. Light is first shed on the context of the work through its place in the philological tradition stemming from the idealist German school represented by K. Vossler. Klemperer's innovation consists in applying the analysis methods inherited from comparative linguistics to a historical object (the language of the Third Reich). The author identifies the invariants in a discourse of domination and control of society, while forging the tools and criteria for its deconstruction. Klemperer's real discovery is finally assessed from the angle of his contribution to science but also to politics and ethics. Its originality is appreciated in relation to a new definition of the totalitarian phenomenon. Adapted from the source document.