Das 'Tier'-Konstrukt als Grundprinzip in Ausgrenzungsdiskursen : eine diskursanalytische Studie - The beast as the basic construct in the discourse of hate and stigmatization : a discourse-analytical study

by Paul, Jobst

It can hardly be denied that western culture, based on hellenistic speculation and Christian heritage, has not only produced the ideal of the 'perfect man', but has, at the same time, prompted racism, anti-semitism and various other strategies of human degradation. How has this two-fold, dualistic message been possible and how has it culturally been coined? Within the framework of an intricate linguistic analysis the study identifies the construct of the beast as the topos in question, which turns out to be the most destructive and most perplexing stereotype within western thought. Everyday talk, moral philosophy and even science have used and still use the construct of the beast as a common code to justify human exclusion and disparity. Originating from Greek philosophy, the construct also seems to preserve the early Christian turn against Jewish monism.

Die Dissertation erscheint zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt im Verlag Unrast, Münster