THE POLYPHONY OF VOICES OF THE PRAGUE CIRCLE

REAPPRAISING MATHESIUS’S ROLE VIS-À-VIS JAKOBSON’S

Abstract

The aim of this work is to highlight the non-homogeneous character and the different cultural and scientific components of the Prague Circle functionalstructuralism. The two fundamental groups that interacted with each other – sometimes with hidden tensions and contrasts that can be glimpsed at – were the Czech milieu gathered around Mathesius, the inspirer, promoter and first President of the Circle, and the “young Russian scholars” who convened in Prague in the aftermaths of the October Revolution, in particular Jakobson and Trubetzkoy. Focusing on the figure of Mathesius, the work presents an appraisal of his fundamental role in the creation and development of the Prague functional structuralism. The analysis of Mathesius’ ideas on language highlights a line of thought rooted in the philological tradition and in European historicism which can be defined “historical functionalism”. Mathesius’ position is contrasted with that of Jakobson, whose functional structuralism influenced by Russian intellectual and academic contexts is marked by considerable cultural, ideological and scientific departures from European historicism.