De taktiek van het taalgebruik in de wetenschap der politiek

The author discusses the problems faced when one uses foreign or professional expressions in a Dutch context. Should professional terms that originate in the foreign language, such as ’support’, ’demands’, ’feedback’ etc. be laboriously translated into Dutch or should be left untranslated? That is a question which is continuously tackled by Dutch scholars, especially in fields — such as political science — where the main body of literature is in English. Besides the translation problem there is the problem of the use of professional language. The author concedes that especially in political science there exists a need for professional terminology, in view of the fact that in practical politics many words are used to persuade by' way of suggestion rather than to increase factual insight. He warns, however, against the use of professional words only for the sake of sounding professional. Moreover, although it is a worthy endeavor to strive for a completely unambiguous professional language, it will never be possible to succeed entirely in this task. As soon as the world outside the profession gets hold of such a term, its meaning is bound to change. The author warns against the hidden suggestive meaning words may contain. For example, in modern literature on international military strategy, the terms that are used may contain meanings which hide more than they reveal. The use of definitions and foreign expressions does not protect us from ambiguity and suggestive meanings. Therefore, it is wise to stay as close as possible to the normal spoken language and to translate, as much as possible, the foreign terms into Dutch. As long as the majority of the people in this country does not speak another language fluently, the use of Dutch, when writing for Dutch readers, should facilitate communication and preclude misunderstanding