Vdovichenko Andrei

The Problem of Subjectivity of Knowledge and the Natural Verbal Process

Abstract

The paper deals with the problem of subjectivity of knowledge in relation to natural communicative, primarily verbal, process. In new theoretical conditions, such preceding formulae as «knowledge of language», «knowledge of signs», «knowledge of linguistic world picture» lose explanatory potential due to the following factors: obvious absence of self-identity of autonomous signs (including verbal signs); the absorption of language by communication; the incapability of language as to sense-generating; the ultimate non-verbal character of conceivable meanings. Personal act of communication comes to be a firmer theoretical basis for explaining the sense-generating process in the verbal fact because it is the individual consciousness of the communicant that serves as a source of thoughts, feelings, values, etc. The communicative nature of sense-generating allows us to separate the natural verbal fact from the idea (thought), as actional from nonactional. It also allows us to state that in the course of verbal communication, multiplefactor communicative actions are generated and understood, not just verbal clichés. With this background, the discourse is determined dynamically as a communicative situation comprehended in each of its moments by a communicant/addressee. Despite the subjectivity of individual knowledge, communication represents the intention (desire) of individual consciousnesses to acquire identity with the aim of achieving successful interaction. The problem of subjectivity of individual knowledge (in its relation to the verbal fact) has a chance for solution only in the field of communication, not in the fi eld of verbal (language) data itself.

Keywords

knowledge, natural verbal process, language, sign, knowledge of language, act of communication, discourse, identity, communication.

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Information about the author

Vdovichenko Andrei