Norm, Moral und Didaktik - Die Linguistik und ihre Schmuddelkinder

Just as every society has its social stratification, so linguistics has its more elevated disciplines and its less reputable areas. Many of the really exciting issues are banished into the remoter domains of the sub-disciplines or get ignored altogether. This applies above all to questions of 'right' and 'wrong', 'pleasing' and 'ugly', 'good' and 'bad'. It is in this sense that issues pertaining to norms, morals and didactics can be said to be the ugly ducklings of linguistics. The trouble with these areas is that they invite opprobrium for being 'ideological'. It is impossible to talk about them without taking up a position. It is here that we find intentions and purposes being formulated that accord ill with the canonical features of 'pure' linguistics. The book makes no attempt to stage any spurious reconciliations, but it does pinpoint sensitive areas in this connection and sees its main function as that of provoking and encouraging discussion.