Konstitutionsakte

17:00 Sep 10, 2007
This question was closed without grading. Reason: No acceptable answer

German to English translations [PRO]
Social Sciences - Linguistics
German term or phrase: Konstitutionsakte
From a book on 20th century theories of language:

"In der konzeptionellen Strategie geht es nicht einfach um den beiden Denkern gemeinsamen Zug zum Transzendentalismus, welcher darin besteht, unsere Sprachlichkeit als *Konstitutionsakte* von Vernunft auszuzeichnen, sondern darum, wie dieser Zug begründet wird."

The two thinkers are Apel and Habermas. And again:

"Und die Unabdingbarkeit der Sinnkategorie dokumentiert, daß Welt-ohne-Medium sich uns nicht zeigt. Die Vergewisserung dieses fast schon befremdlichen Letzthorizontes, der mit Luhmanns Weltbegriff konnotiert ist, wird damit zur *Konstitutionsakte* der grundlegenden Einsicht in eine Medialität, die für psychische oder soziale Systeme nicht außer Kraft zu setzen ist."

constitutional act?? In the second case this might work, but how can Sprachlichkeit (situatedness in language or simply language) be a "constitutional act"? Sounds strange to me. Grateful for any ideas.
mill2
Local time: 01:33


Summary of answers provided
4constituent structure
Elisabeth Moser
2nature; natural act
Christo Metschkaroff


Discussion entries: 5





  

Answers


1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
nature; natural act


Explanation:
IMO - mit "Konstitutionsakte" ist hier die natürliche Eigenschaft des Sprechaktes gemeint - gleich Sprachlichkeit, was dem Menschen immanent ist, von Natur aus gegeben.....
Ein Hinweis ...

Christo Metschkaroff
Bulgaria
Local time: 02:33
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in BulgarianBulgarian

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  Kim Metzger: Are you sure that Akte is act in this case and not process or record?
23 mins
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19 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
constituent structure


Explanation:
here are some definitions for relevant terms from the Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy:
1. linguistic act -- Acts of communication, by speech or by other actions (e.g. speech acts)
2. About Habermas (1929-) Born in Düsseldorf, Habermas was educated at Bonn and Marburg, before holding posts at the Institute for Social Research, and eventually becoming professor of philosophy at Frankfurt. He is the leading contemporary representative of the Frankfurt school, and is noted for his sustained attack on the problems of the nature of communication and self-consciousness, and their role in the causation of social action. Habermas distinguishes three cognitive interests common to human beings; the technical interest in knowing and controlling the world around us, the interest in being able to understand each other and join in common activity, and the interest in removing distortions in our understanding of ourselves, the last of which gives rise to the critical sciences. These distinct interests stand in the way of the economic determinism of classical Marxism (see also base and superstructure). His works include Theorie und Praxis Sozialphilosophische Studien (1963, trs. as Theory and Practice, 1973), Theorie des kommunikativen Handelns (1981, trs. as The Theory of Commumicative Action, 2 vols. 1984, 1986), and Der philosophische Diskurs der Moderne (1985, trs. as Philosophical Discourse on Modernity, 1986).

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constituent structure is defined as follows:
constituent structure
An analysis, often in the form of a schematic representation, of the constituents of a construction, such as a sentence.

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Note added at 21 hrs (2007-09-11 14:43:00 GMT)
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I am thinking ....


    Reference: http://ontology.buffalo.edu/smith/articles/dummett.pdf
Elisabeth Moser
United States
Local time: 19:33
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in GermanGerman
Notes to answerer
Asker: This is going in the right direction - but don't you think the German implies something more productive than simply structure? What do you think of constituent act?

Asker: I really appreciate your help, but upon further reflection, I don't think this is going in the right direction after all. Constituent is very different from Konstitution. I have decided to go with constitutive act - the point is that Sprachlichkeit constitutes, brings forth, reason, not that it is a constituent of reason.

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