Sprache und Revolution

Language is a dangerous thing in revolutionary times since it implies old, wild, non rational thought which does not fit into the brave new world of rationally enlightened political affairs. How to make our (linguistically obscure) ideas clear is the philosophical and political problem of the Revolution. The paper sketches the development of the revolutionary language theory from Bacon via Locke and Condillac. And it shows how the French Revolution fights against that wild thought in language by a politics of annihilation of the regional languages and of purification of the French language itself. Even if France today is trying to find a way back to a politics of linguistic diversity, the global revolution of languages is more likely to win

Public-Private Partnerships In Spain: Lessons And Opportunities

Public-Private Partnerships (PPP), a “marriage” between public- and private-sector activity, have been employed for almost two decades as a “third way” to optimize the use of public funds and boost the quality of services traditionally provided by the public sector.  Their use has spread from the United Kingdom to Europe and beyond, and has expanded from the transport sector to innovative projects in health, education and others.  In Spain, successive governments have seized on PPPs as a solution to budget constraints at a time of dwindling EU aid and stricter fiscal targets.  As a result, the use of PPPs at all levels of government has exploded since 2003 and most recently culminated in a major infrastructure plan which relies on the private sector for 40% of  its total investment.  Undoubtedly, this trend will bring benefits to the Spanish population in terms of more abundant, lower-cost and higher-quality services.  However, there are risks implicit in the way PPP is unfolding in Spain that could limit and even undo these benefits unless steps are taken to coordinate, monitor and follow up public-private projects and to communicate their virtues to the public.  Spain presents an interesting paradox in the history of PPP.  While it is one of Europe´s oldest, most active and most enthusiastic users of PPP, it is at the same time one of the countries that has demonstrated least interest at an official level in informing, monitoring, regulating and following up projects to ensure that their deepest benefits are being achieved.  Relying on PPP only for private financing entails a risk that the benefits of PPP will not be realized and public services will actually become more expensive and less satisfactory over the medium and long term.  The Spanish government is advised to take steps similar to those taken in the United Kingdom, to ensure that PPP is managed correctly and hence becomes an asset and not a liability to Spanish citizens.

Alla ricerca del metodo accertato di una scienza dei segni dell’uomo

Traducción del italiano de Pablo Badillo O'Farrel.Este relato parte del magisterio de Eugenio Coseriu, de su vínculo con las tesis de Vico, y de cómo estas dirigieron el interés del autor hacia las “ciencias de la cultura” y en ese ámbito a la “ciencia de los signos” (semiología), para reconducirse por último al ámbito de la “semiótica” como ciencia comunicativa del signo humano. A partir de ahí, y siempre con Vico, se abre el nuevo camino de la “sematología” que –a diferencia de la semiología (estructural) y de la semiótica (comunicativa)– como una semiótica cognitiva tematiza el signo del hombre como la materialización del pensamiento.This story narrates a “journey” that starts from Eugenio Coseriu’s teaching, from his link with Vico’s thesis, and from how they directed the Author’s interest towards the “sciences of culture” and, whithin that area, to the “science of signs” (semiology), to be finally reconducted to the field of “semiotics”, as a communicative science of human sign. From there, and always with Vico, the new path of “sematology” dawns for the Author—one that, unlike (structural) semiology and (communicative) semiotics, thematizes the sign of man as the materialization of thought, as cognitive semiotics.La presente ricostruzione prende le mosse dal magistero di Eugenio Coseriu, dal suo legame con le tesi di Vico, e da come queste orientarono l’interesse dell’Autore verso le “scienze della cultura” e, in quell’ambito, verso la “scienza dei segni” (semiologia), per approdare, infine, al campo della “semiotica” come scienza comunicativa del segno umano. Da lì, e sempre sulla scia di Vico, si apre il nuovo percorso della “sematologia” che –a differenza della semiologia (strutturale) e della semiotica (comunicativa)– in quanto semiotica cognitiva tematizza il segno dell’uomo in termini di materializzazione del pensiero

Las tres caídas del Señor Vico. (La relación entre "La Vita" y la "Scienza Nuova")

Cuando narra su vida en 1725, Vico mira hacia atrás desde sus cincuenta y cinco años (pues él afirmaba haber nacido en 1670) y sobre todo observa desde esta obra su vida. Esta vida se desarrolla como una narración, en cuyo final, como telos, aparecen los Principj di una scienza nuova. Ya desde el inicio la narración está orientada hacia esta obra.When narrating his life in 1725, Vico looks backwards, from his fifty five years (since he assured he was born in 1670) and, above all, contemplates his own life from this work. This life is developed as a narration, whose aim, as a telos, are the Principj di una scienza nuova. Since the beginning, narration is oriented towards this work

¿Hay que proteger a Saussure de sus seguidores? Notas ítem sobre la etimología saussureana

“Bach gegen seine Liebhabaer verteidigt”, “defensa de Bach contra sus entusiastas2” es el título de un célebre artículo de Theodor Adorno en el cual él ataca a los seguidores de un Bach “auténtico”, a los puristas bachianos y a un historicismo que cree ser el representante absoluto de la verdad musical. Estos seguidores de un Bach histórico luchaban –con un fervor caso religioso– para que se interpretara a Bach con los instrumentos de la época y que se reconstruyera la sonoridad “auténtica” que restituye el contexto eclesiástico. Estos seguidores confinan a Bach en su medio histórico estrecho –que no era precisamente apreciado por el propio Bach– de cantor de la Thomaskirche de Leipzig. Adorno defiende a Bach en el nombre del progreso musical mostrando las potencialidades de su música que justamente intenta romper las cadenas de su tiempo e insiste en la apertura de los textos musicales de Bach quien se rebela contra las limitaciones históricas, debidas por ejemplo a la estrechez de datos ideológicos y a la pobreza material de los instrumentos atrasados. El clavicordio no es necesariamente el sonido con el cual sueñe la música de Bach. Por supuesto, los casos históricos nunca son idénticos, pero hay analogías estructurales evidentes en lo que sucede alrededor de Saussure. ¿Hay que defender entonces a Saussure de sus amigos, seguidores de un Saussure auténtico

2. Du grec aux langues du monde

Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) écrit, dans sa préface à l’œuvre principale de son frère, que ce dernier a pénétré plus profondément que tout autre esprit humain avant lui la structure d’un plus grand nombre de langues. De fait, Wilhelm von Humboldt fit la collection, tout au long de sa vie, de centaines de grammaires et lexiques des langues du monde entier. Il s’occupa scientifiquement — de manière plus ou moins approfondie — de soixante-quinze langues. Sa visée, son « vergleichendes Spra..

Tributaire de sa propre langue

Quiconque s’occupe de philosophie et d’art appartient plus particulièrement à sa patrie que tout autre, j’en ai encore fait l’expérience ici sur mon frère Alexander et moi-même. J’ai aimé être à Paris au moins autant que lui, peut-être même plus encore, cependant lui se sentait infiniment moins étranger ici. Les échanges dans l’un et l’autre sens n’ont jamais fait problème pour lui. Pour la philosophie et l’art nous dépendons davantage de notre propre langue, que la sensibilité et la disposit..

Der eigenen Sprache bedürftig

Wer sich mit Philosophie und Kunst beschäftigt, gehört seinem Vaterlande eigentümlicher als ein anderer an, dies habe ich auch noch hier an Alexander und mir erfahren. Ich war vielleicht ebenso gern, vielleicht noch lieber in Paris, als er, allein er war unendlich weniger fremd hier. Mitteilung und Erwiderung fanden für ihn kaum nur ein Hindernis. Philosophie und Kunst sind mehr der eigenen Sprache bedürftig, welche die Empfindung und die Gesinnung sich selbst gebildet haben, und durch die si..

L’Histoire parle-t-elle ?

Dans ce texte, qui est la traduction de la dernière partie d’une étude de 2002 intitulée Sprache der Geschichte [Le langage de l’Histoire], il s’agit moins de savoir si l’Histoire parle que de s’interroger sur la nature de son langage – avec à la clef cette question imposée par les différentes moutures du linguistic turn : l’Histoire (c’est-à-dire aussi bien la réalité) existe-t-elle autrement qu’à travers le prisme du langage ? Et que signifie dès lors la « scientificité » du discours historiographique ? Jürgen Trabant discute ici différentes thèses, notamment l’influente contribution de Roland Barthes, pour aboutir à la conclusion que l’existence peu douteuse d’une réalité extérieure au langage constitue pour l’écriture de l’histoire davantage un défi qu’une mise en cause.This text is a translation of the last section of a 2002 study entitled Sprache der Geschichte [The Language of History]. It seeks not so much to determine whether or not History speaks as to interrogate the nature of its language, in light of the inevitable question imposed by the various versions of the linguistic turn: does History (which can be taken to mean reality) exist outside of the prism of language? What then might be meant by the “scientific” nature of historiographical discourse? Jürgen Trabant engages with different theses, in particular Roland Barthes’ influential contribution to this debate, before concluding that the fact that a reality doubtless does exist outside of language constitutes more of a challenge for than a challenge to the writing of history

McMullin On-Farm Flood Capture and Recharge Project: Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analyses (H&H), final report

Approval of a Hydrologic and Hydraulic Analyses (H&H) by California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is a pre-requisite for projects being funded through DWR’s Flood Corridor Program. The H&H needs to show early in the project schedule in analysis acceptable to DWR that the project will produce the anticipated flood risk reduction benefits. A Benefit:Cost (B/C) ratio provides a metric for comparing benefits from a project in relation to DWR costs for the project. In our analysis, we calculated a B/C of 1.86 for Phase 1, the diversion of 150 cubic feet per second (cfs) from the Kings River onto the project during flood flow conditions between December and May, and of 1.98 for Phase 2/3, the diversion of 500 cfs from the Kings River onto the project during the same conditions. We provide background on the project and the area that will be affected by the project (the study area), summarize our methods, and present our findings. Two large hydrologic issues face the Kings Basin: severe and chronic overdraft of about 0.16M ac-ft annually, and flood risks along the Kings River and the downstream San Joaquin River. Since 1983, downstream communities along the Kings and San Joaquin Rivers have suffered over $1B in flood damages (2013$). To help mitigate these two issues, this project proposes diverting and capturing Kings River floodwater at the James Bypass onto agricultural lands adjacent to the Kings River for conjunctive use purposes (e.g. recharge, in lieu recharge, irrigation). This project is planned in three phases: Phase 1 (Ph1) will divert 150 cubic feet per second (cfs) onto agricultural fields from December through May and 100 cfs from June through September. Fifty-five hundred acres are planned for enrollment in Ph1 with 375 acres under flood easements; 1,125 acres managed under dual purpose of accepting flood flows and being managed for farming; and the remaining acreage receiving flood flows when available for in lieu recharge. Phases 2 and 3 (Ph 2/3) together will expand enrollment to 16,000 acres with expected equivalent ratios for flood easements, dual purpose and farming. Ph2/3 is planned to have a 500 cfs flood diversion and capture capacity. We assessed hydrologic and hydraulics conditions and economics for these planned phases following the scope of work defined in Task Order 1 between Kings River Conservation District (KRCD) and Tetra Tech