Does the past have a future? Reflections on the Jakobson heritage

Abstract

There are various ways in which we linguists can relate to our heritage from the great founders of modern linguistics. ¹ The most widespread one, I think, is that of largely leaving it alone. The scholarly dialog moves forward, energized by ever new points of view, new assumptions, and new discoveries. You can tell from the bibliographies of current publications in theoretical linguistics that the time depth in the contemporary dialog on the whole is little more than a decade. Occasionally, in this dialog, what used to be key positions are abandoned, and significant discoveries are forgotten. But then, again, oftentimes old positions are retaken, and old discoveries are remade. This is as it should be, for the aim of linguistics is not primarily the accumulation of knowledge - though that is a necessary part of our endeavor - it is more a quest for understanding, and in this quest, each generation must define its own interests, choose its own point of view, make its own assumptions, and apply itself, hoping for the best. And each individual has to create whatever understanding he is capable of on his own.

The research for this paper was supported by a grant from the Academic Senate of the University of California, Los Angeles.

The research for this paper was supported by a grant from the Academic Senate of the University of California, Los Angeles.

Notes

The research for this paper was supported by a grant from the Academic Senate of the University of California, Los Angeles.