On the validation of text-grammars in the "study of literature"

Jens Ihwe

pp. 300-348

in: Janos S. Petöfi, Hannes Rieser (eds), Studies in text grammar, Berlin, Springer, 1973

Abstract

Four contexts are specified in which the notion of "text" is to be treated: text-grammars, text-typologies, text-processing, and text-didactics.These four contexts, in this particular ordering, also imply the thesis that the introduction of this notion will only be of operational value if it has been sufficiently anchored both empirically and applicationally.The paradigm chosen is that of the study of literature. Here it can be shown with all clarity, how motivations and aims both inherent in as well as external to linguistics are to be related to assure the empirical relevance of the basic data, of concept definition, and of theory construction.The guiding point of view is that linguistics must develop the general frame within which explication and description of the complex phenomenon "text-processing" may be pursued. Founded on an empirically anchored (i.e. heuristical-experimental) basis of specification ("text-grammar"), specific domains of research within all so-called language-centred disciplines may then be delimited ("text-typologies"). As guiding points of view, at least for the paradigm chosen here, perspectives of application, in particular those of a didactic nature, are outlined ("text-didactics").