DeepSummary
In this episode, the hosts welcome Matthew Furlong to discuss the Russian Soviet linguist Valentin Nikolaevich Voloshinov and his influential work on philosophy of language, linguistics, and Marxist theory of ideology. Furlong provides an overview of Voloshinov's background and the broader context of linguistic studies during his time.
Furlong delves into Voloshinov's critique of Ferdinand de Saussure's structural linguistics, highlighting Voloshinov's attempt to dialectically resolve the metaphysical dualism inherent in Saussure's work. Voloshinov's primary contribution was his emphasis on verbal interaction as the genesis of language and individual psychology, and his view of language as a material reality intricately tied to social practice and modes of production.
The discussion also touches on Voloshinov's legacy, with figures like V.A. Lektorsky and E.V. Ilyenkov carrying forward his ideas, engaging with analytic philosophers, and developing a materialist account of ideal objects. Furlong reflects on the implications of Voloshinov's thinking for revolutionaries and everyday life, stressing the importance of cultivating patience, humility, and better listening skills in organizing efforts.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Valentin Nikolaevich Voloshinov was a Russian Soviet linguist who critiqued Ferdinand de Saussure's structural linguistics and attempted to dialectically resolve its inherent metaphysical dualism.
- Voloshinov emphasized the role of verbal interaction as the genesis of language and individual psychology, rooted in social practice and modes of production.
- Voloshinov's work aimed to address the gap in Engels' formulation of the dialectic by providing an analysis of the genesis of cognition and thought itself.
- Voloshinov's linguistic theory had implications for understanding the relationship between base and superstructure in Marxist theory, addressing the effectivity of the superstructure.
- Thinkers like V.A. Lektorsky and E.V. Ilyenkov carried forward Voloshinov's legacy, engaging with analytic philosophy and developing a materialist account of ideal objects.
- Voloshinov's emphasis on verbal interaction and its ties to social practice has implications for cultivating patience, humility, and better listening skills in revolutionary organizing.
- Voloshinov's work paved the way for thinkers like Louis Althusser to further develop the logic of dialectical materialism and its implications for understanding ideology and the superstructure.
- While drawing from analytic philosophy, Voloshinov's linguistic theory was grounded in a Marxist understanding of language as tied to social practice and modes of production.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “The growth of consciousness is in direct proportion to the firmness and reliability of the social orientation. The stronger, the more organized, the more differentiated the collective in which an individual orients himself, the more vivid and complex his inner world will be.“ by Voloshinov
- “The ideological forms along the lines of which the experience would develop, would be either the individualistic protest of a vagabond or a repentant mystical resignation.“ by Voloshinov
- “And Veloshanov, I think, yeah, he sort of is blazing the trail here. And he sets up the possibility of somebody like Louis Althusser in that essay that I've mentioned, contradiction, interpretation. He really takes this logic as far as it can go or tries to push it as far as it can, can go, and comes up with a lot of really interesting insights that itself come out of Engels observation, even though, as Lenin says, he doesn't analyze it as fully as he could have or should have, maybe in the works that Lenin is discussing.“ by Matthew Furlong
- “Veloshanov really makes an advancement, I think, in the late twenties in marxist theory, by attending to exactly what someone like Lenin says. Like Engels didn't attend to quite enough in terms of articulating, not just asserting, that dialectics accounts for the laws of, you know, thought or cognitive genesis or psychological genesis, but he doesn't actually analyze it and therefore ends up prioritizing a sort of consciousness that's taken in the aggregate as just a self contained thing.“ by Matthew Furlong
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Episode Information
Revolutionary Left Radio
Revolutionary Left Radio
10/24/22
Matthew Furlong from our Dialectics Deep Dive series returns to the show to discuss Valentin Nikolaevich Voloshinov, a Russian Soviet linguist, whose work has been influential in the field of literary theory and Marxist theory of ideology.
Outro music: "Human Language" by Aceyalone
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