Advancing the Linguistic Turn: Premises of Conceptual Work

Abstract

Discourse has become a buzzword in the social sciences, and discourse analyses proliferate in European integration studies, too. This chapter suggests, however, that we need to better account for the knowledge- and research-philosophical implications of the linguistic turn in order to capitalise on what discourse studies are good at: envisaging an alternative conception of the political, including of political legitimation. After a brief review of discourse research in European integration studies, the chapter expounds the full implications of the linguistic turn and highlights the distinct epistemologies it has brought about. The chapter then introduces Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the discourse epistemology used as a primary entry point in the book. It outlines the analytical strategy adopted to combine CDA with sociological and political theory and explicates how it is implemented in a combined, computer-aided content and discourse analysis.