The Influence of Multilingualism on the Works of Vasily Sesemann

Cover Page

Cite item

Full Text

Abstract

The study is devoted to identifying and analyzing the influence of multilingualism of Vasily Sesemann (1884-1963) on his work. The prerequisites for the formation of natural and acquired multilingualism of V.E. Sesemann are considered. The question is raised about the peculiarities of creativity and language of the philosopher’s works, possible professional advantages due to multilingualism. The research provides an overview of the controversy regarding the national, cultural and philosophical identity of V. Sesemann in the context of professional multilingualism (active academic use of Russian, German and Lithuanian languages). The paper examines the characteristic features of bilinguals and multilinguals, presents a brief overview of the historical dynamics of assessing their cognitive capabilities and the specifics of learning. It is shown that the modern umbrella term metalinguistic awareness helps to identify and describe the specific features inherent in the works of V. Sesemann, his “special grasping of language”, recognizable style, precision of wording and attention to the accuracy of terminology, expressiveness and figurativeness of language, compositional perfection of works. The study reveals that there are a number of additional factors that enhance V. Sesemann’s special attitude to language, including: musical auditory and performing experience, teaching, and work as a translator. In addition, the study demonstrates V. Sesemann’s clear awareness of the opportunities provided by knowledge of several languages, which is supported by the philosopher’s statements and fragments from his children’s memoirs. The work provides examples illustrating the specificity of his style of presentation. The analysis not only shows the uniqueness of V. Sesemann’s phenomenon in the history of philosophy, but also opens up opportunities for new research approaches to his work and demonstrates the research potential of his legacy

About the authors

Julia V. Sokolova

National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute”

Author for correspondence.
Email: SokolovaYulV@mpei.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-4884-7185
SPIN-code: 8368-5810

PhD in Philosophy, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology

14 Krasnokazarmennaya St., Moscow, 111250, Russian Federation

References

  1. Klimanskienė N. Apie Vosylių Sezemaną. Krantai. 2017;(1):8-15.
  2. Sorace A. Cognitive advantages in bilingualism: Is there a “bilingual paradox”? In: Valore P, editor. Multilingualism. Language, Power, and Knowledge. Pisa: Edistudio; 2011. P. 335-358.
  3. Belov VN. Modern studies of Vasily Sesemann’s work abroad. Horizon. Phenomenological Studies. 2017;6(2):411-424. (In Russian).
  4. Dmitrieva NA. Russian Neo-Kantianism: Marburg in Russia. Historical and philosophical essays. Moscow; 2007. (In Russian).
  5. Белов В.Н. Очерки по истории русской философии. М., 2021. Belov VN. Essays on the History of Russian Philosophy. Мoscow; 2021. (In Russian).
  6. Belov VN. V.E. Sesemann - systematist of Russian neo-Kantianism. Voprosy philosophii. 2012;(4):121-127. (In Russian).
  7. Belov VN. Art and Culture: Aesthetic Ideas of V. E. Sesemann. Vestnik of St. Petersburg University. Philosophy and Conflictology. 2022;38(2):231-241. (In Russian).
  8. Nemeth Th. Russian Neo-Kantianism: Emergence, Dissemination, Dissolution. DeGruyter; 2022.
  9. Orlova NKh. Vasily Sesemann and Ksenia Miloradovich: Intercrossing Themes and Biographies. RUDN Journal of Philosophy. 2023;27(1):27-40. (In Russian). https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-2302-2023-27-1-27-40
  10. Seseman V. Aesthetics. Amsterdam - New York. NY; 2007.
  11. Tarasti E. Preface. In: Botz-Bornstein T. Vasily Seseman. Experience, Formalism and the Question of Being. Amsterdam - New York. NY; 2006. P. 7-13.
  12. Povilaitis V. About the philosophy of Vasily Sesemann. Research on the history of Russian thought. Yearbook 2004/2005. Kolerov MA, Plotnikov NS, editors. 2007;(7):234-248. (In Russian).
  13. Źirmunskis V. Sezemanui atminti. In: Sezemanas V. Estetika. Vilnius: Mintis; 1970.
  14. Sesemann V. Logika: Paskaitos, laikytos Lietuvos universiteto Humanitarinių mokslų fakultete l Humanitarinių mokslų fak. leidinys. Kaunas: Zavišos ir Steponavičiaus sp.; 1929.
  15. Sesemann V. Estetika. Vilnius: Mintis; 1970.
  16. Sezemanas V. Gnoseologija.Vilnius: Mintis; 1987.
  17. Aristotelis. Apie sielą [On the Soul] // Sezemanas V. Valstybinė politinės ir mokslinės literatūros leidykla. Vilnius; 1959.
  18. Saer DJ. The effect of bilingualism on intelligence. British Journal of Psychology. General Section. 1923;14(1):25-38. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.1923.tb00110.x
  19. Goodenough FL. Racial differences in the intelligence of school children. Journal of Experimental Psychology. 1926;9(5):388-397. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0073325
  20. Yoshioka JG. A study of bilingualism. The Pedagogical Seminary and Journal of Genetic Psychology. 1929;36(3):473-479. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856559.1929. 10532205
  21. Peal E, Lambert WE. The relation of bilingualism to intelligence. Psychological Monographs: General and Applied. 1962;76(27):1-23. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0093840
  22. Antoniou M. The Advantages of Bilingualism Debate. Annual Review of Linguistics. 2019;5:395-415. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-linguistics-011718-011820
  23. Panov AV. Features of the formation of an individual’s metalinguistic consciousness in the study of several foreign languages. Teacher of the XXI century. 2019;(2):192-198. (In Russian).
  24. Sokolova IV. Metalinguistic abilities and their manifestation in early bilingualism. Russian language abroad. 2011;(1):64-71. (In Russian).
  25. Musacchia G, Sams M, Skoe E, Kraus N. Musicians have enhanced subcortical auditory and audiovisual processing of speech and music. PNAS. 2007;104(40):15894-15898. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0701498104
  26. Martensson J, Eriksson J, Bodammer NC, Lindgren M, Johansson M. Growth of language-related brain areas after foreign language learning. NeuroImage. 2012;63(1):240-244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.06.043
  27. Schlegel AA, Rudelson JJ, Tse PU. White matter structure changes as adults learn a second language. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 2012;24(8):1664-1670. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_00240
  28. Stein M, Federspiel A, Koenig T, Wirth M, Strik W. Structural plasticity in the language system related to increased second language proficiency. Cortex. 2012;48(4):458-465. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2010.10.007
  29. Slyusorene E. Lines of love and hope. Vilnius. 1999;(2):127-138. (In Russian).
  30. Belov VN. N. Hartmann and V. Sesemann. Sesemann. Preface to the translation of N. Hartmann’s review ‘About Wilhelm Sesemann’ 1933. Horizon. Phenomenological Studies. 2019;8(1):311-317. (In Russian).
  31. Belov V, Belousov M. Nikolai Hartmann On Wilhelm Sesemann. 1933 (translated from German). Horizon. Phenomenological Studies. 2019;8(1):318-327. (In Russian).
  32. Sezemanas G. Vosylius Sezemanas. Krantai. 2017;(3):70-75.
  33. Sesemann W. On the nature of the poetic image. In: Humanitario faculteto raštai. Book 1. Kaunas; 1925. P. 425-481. (In Russian).
  34. Sesemann W. Art and Culture (Towards the problem of aesthetics). Svyatopolk-Mirsky DP, Suvchinsky PP, Efron SYa; with the close participation of Remizov A, Tsvetaeva M, Shestov L. Versts. 1927;(2):185-204. (In Russian).
  35. Sesemann W. Real installation and “pure” (non-installation) knowledge. Russian philosophers in Lithuania. Karsavin, Seseman, Shilkarsky. Kaliningrad: Publishing House of the Russian State University named after I. Kant; 2005. P. 42-72. (In Russian).
  36. Sesemann W. Rational and irrational in the system of philosophy. Book 1. Logos. 1911. P. 93-122. (In Russian).
  37. Sesemann V. Die Ethik Platos und das Problem des Bösen // Philosophische Abhandlungen: Hermann Cohen zum 70. Geburtstage (4/Juli 1912). Berlin; 1912. S. 170-189.
  38. Kant I. Criticism of the ability of judgment. Moscow: Art; 1994. (In Russian).
  39. Sesemann W. Towards the Problem of Pure Knowledge. Belov VN, transl. and pref. Logos. 2006;6(57):117-161. (In Russian).
  40. Sesemann W. Plato’s Ethics and the Problem of Evil. Belov VN, transl. and afterword. Kantian Journal. 2010;1(31):75-89. (In Russian).
  41. Sesemann WE. Problem of Idealism in Philosophy. Belov VN, transl. Voprosy philosophii. 2012;(4):127-134. (In Russian).

Copyright (c) 2024 Sokolova J.V.

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

This website uses cookies

You consent to our cookies if you continue to use our website.

About Cookies