Cfp: Language abuse and language criticism in the history of linguistics (Flensburg, 16–19 June 2027)

Europa-Universität Flensburg, 16–19 June 2027
“Language abuse and language criticism in the history of linguistics / Sprachmissbrauch und Sprachkritik in der Geschichte der Sprachwissenschaft / Abus des mots et critique du langage dans l’histoire de la linguistique”

From 16–19 June 2027, the international conference “Language abuse and language criticism in the history of linguistics” will take place at Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF). Proposals for presentations may range from antiquity to the present day. Interdisciplinary topics are also very welcome.

Since Plato’s Cratylus, the problem of the antagonism between words and things has held a central position in theoretical and critical discussions of language. Against this backdrop, a heightened engagement with questions of language criticism and the theme of the ‘abuse of words’ developed particularly in 17th-century Europe. By introducing empiricism and its inductive-experimental character—in contrast to the axioms of Scholasticism—Bacon revolutionised modern scientific thought, whilst also paving the way for a massive linguistic scepticism, as he regarded language as an obstacle to the process of human knowledge.

Following in the footsteps of Bacon and Hobbes towards the end of the 17th century, John Locke dealt intensively with questions of language criticism and, in particular, the abuse of words in his Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1690). Leibniz responded directly to Locke’s critique in his Nouveaux essais sur l’entendement humain (published posthumously in 1765).

Discussions surrounding the abuse of language reached their peak during the French Enlightenment, for instance in the writings of Condillac, Helvétius, Voltaire, and Rousseau. For the latter, since the emergence of civilisation, inequality has established itself not least through the abuse of words. In Rousseau’s view, the power structure of the ruling class is based on the illusory nature of supposedly accurate terms such as propriété, bien public, patrie, or citoyen, which in reality serve only as euphemisms to disguise true power relations.

The discussion regarding politically and socially relevant word meanings became particularly heated during the French Revolution, which was from the outset a ‘logomachy’—a ‘war of words’—for which the philosophes had increasingly prepared the ground throughout the century. The abus des mots became the subject of political conflict between revolutionaries and counter-revolutionaries, who fought over the ‘correct meaning’ of words such as liberté, peuple, aristocratie, souverain, or propriété, accusing each other of using the abuse of words for demagogic purposes.

The experiences of the French Revolution made it clear that political language, in Rousseau’s sense, had become an attribute of power and thus a privilege of the stronger. Whilst this, in a sense, sealed the discussion held by the philosophes up to that point, language criticism remained a fundamental subject of philosophical reflection right up to the modern era. With the question of the limits of language as the limits of the mind, analytic philosophy sparked a particular interest in everyday language use.

At the end of the 20th century, authors in Germany such as Pörksen or Polenz advocated for viewing language criticism within the framework of the history of linguistics and specifically linguistic description. The idea that the abuse of language can be used as an instrument for the appropriation or assertion of political power is firmly anchored in the public consciousness, particularly in Germany, due to memories of the National Socialist era and the GDR regime, as well as in publications on current political affairs.

In our time, questions of language criticism are discussed with high media visibility across various European countries in the context of political correctness, gender-neutral, and inclusive language. This raises the question of what should be regarded as correct usage and what as abuse of language. Due to the increasing role of agitation and propaganda in the form of hate speech—particularly through internet-based forms of dissemination and often masked by anonymity—forms of language criticism and discussions on the problem of language abuse are currently gaining massive social, political, and theoretical relevance.

Contributions to the international conference may range from antiquity to the present. Treating the language criticism of antiquity is as welcome as a discussion of language abuse in the context of the European Enlightenment or the analysis of hate speech in blogs and internet forums. The conference languages are German, English, and French.

All interested parties, especially those wishing to give a presentation, are requested to register as soon as possible, and by 1 July 2026 at the latest, providing the title of the presentation and an abstract of approx. 200–300 words (in German, English, or French) at the following email address: languageabuse2027@uni-flensburg.de

The duration of the presentations will be a maximum of 30 minutes (followed by a discussion of approx. 15 minutes); the languages of presentation and discussion are German, English, and French. Information regarding the selection of presentations, as well as travel routes and hotel accommodation, will be provided in early October 2026.
We would be pleased to welcome you to Flensburg.

Prof. Dr. Cordula Neis
Europa-Universität Flensburg