Theory of Language

by Karl Bühler

Karl Bühler (1879-1963) was one of the leading theoreticians of language of the twentieth century. Although primarily a psychologist, Bühler devoted much of his attention to the study of language and language theory. His masterwork Sprachtheorie (1934) quickly gained recognition in the fields of linguistics, semiotics, the philosophy of language and the psychology of language. This new edition of the English translation of Bühler€™s theory begins with a survey on €˜Bühler€™s legacy€™ for modern linguistics (Werner Abraham), followed by the Theory of Language, and finally with a special €˜ Twenty-five Years Later €¦€™ (Achim Eschbach). Bühler€™s theory is divided into four parts. Part I discusses the four axioms or principles of language research, the most famous of which is the first, the organon model, the base of Bühler's instrumental view of language. Part II treats the r

Genres: Language, Nonfiction

570 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1934

About the author

Karl Ludwig Bühler was a German psychologist and linguist. In psychology he is known for his work in gestalt psychology, and he was one of the founders of the Würzburg tradition of Psychology. In linguistics he is known for his Organon model of communication and his treatment of deixis as a linguistic phenomenon.

His wife was the well-known psychologist Charlotte Bühler.