La culture de la langue selon Vilém Mathesius – principes et conséquences d’une approche structurale et fonctionnelle globale

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to present the specific aspects of the Mathesian approach to the culture of language. We show that all the principles on which V. Mathesius, the founder of the Prague Linguistic Circle, bases his theory are deeply anchored in his philosophical, societal and aesthetic attitudes. Inspired by the Masarykian realism, Mathesius’ approach is functional and structural. Showing that his conception of the culture of language is integral to his conception of culture in general we point out the remarkable coherence of the whole Mathesius’ work.