Das sprechende Tier. Über Macht und Ohnmacht der Sprache

The speaking animal. On the power and impotence of language. Language is a characteristic feature of human beings. It is the foundation of our relationships to others, to things, to ourselves; it is the foundation of communication with other people, recognition and representation of the world, and understanding the self. But language is not simply a fixed element of human experience and action. It can be lacking, fragile and problematic. This article discusses the tension between the original need for language and the power of language on one hand, and the withdrawal and impotence of language on the other. Loss of language is linked to the experience of the negative in specific ways. Experiences of extreme suffering go hand in hand with a loss of expression and an inability to achieve linguistic competence. In contrast, there is the need to “give voice to suffering” (Adorno). This is a guiding principle of psychotherapy, social criticism, and historical culture. In various forms, it is a matter of expressing the unfinished and regaining lost language.