言語についての日本の理論：空海から現代まで

日本思想史研究家として世界的に知られる、米国オハイオ州立大学のトマス・カスリス（トーマス・カスーリス、Thomas P.kasulis）先生による集中講義です。古代から２１世紀に到るまでの日本の思想家によって展開された言語の理論について、言語一般に対する理論や日本語の特殊性に対する理論にも注意しつつ、通史的な検証を行います。あわせて、日本の歴史の中で、言語の理論がいかにして階級・ジェンダー・民族・国家のアイデンティティーを区別するため使われたかも考えます。
In their intellectual development over time, most cultures come to reflect on the nature of language as the medium of thought, communication, and poetic expressiveness. Usually alternative theories emerge that either complement or compete with each other as defining the range of linguistic functions and, at times, as setting a hierarchy for which uses of language are most valuable. This has certainly been the case in Japan where we find a rich variety of theories about the purpose of language, its purposes, and its supposed origins.
This course will examine a number of those theories developed by Japanese thinkers from ancient times up through the early 21st century with attention on both general theories applied to language at large as well as specific theories aimed at trying to characterize qualities distinctive (though not necessarily completely unique) to the Japanese language. A secondary consideration will be how theories of language have been used at various points in Japanese history to serve ideological purposes for distinguishing class, gender, ethnicity, and national identity.