Humanistic Texts: Analysis, Pragmatics, and Forms of Discourse
Humanistic Texts:
Humanistic texts explore the social and spiritual nature of humans, along with their historical and cultural expressions. This includes fields like philosophy, sociology, economics, history, and psychology. Its basic purpose is the transmission of knowledge and culture. Humanistic texts tend towards abstraction, dealing with idealistic concepts rather than purely scientific ones. They are speculative, based on theoretical reflection and logical reasoning, and are open to debate. These texts often reveal the author’s ideology and subjective viewpoint.
Pragmatic Aspects of Humanistic Texts:
The issuer is almost always an individual aiming to share knowledge within their specialty. This can be for research, education, information, or instruction. The receiver can distinguish between academic and informative texts. Channels include oral presentations like conferences and lectures, and written forms such as books and press articles. The code is typically educated or formal language.
Predominant Functions:
- Referential: Texts primarily focused on transmitting knowledge.
- Appellative: Texts where the author seeks to influence the reader’s ideology.
- Metalinguistic: Texts that use their own specific terminology.
- Expressive and Poetic: These can also occur, particularly in essays.
Forms of Address:
- Exposition: Used for presenting and explaining the subject matter.
- Argumentation: Common in texts where the author tries to convince the reader of an idea or critique opposing viewpoints.
Structure of Expository Texts:
- Basic:
- Inductive: From particular to general.
- Deductive: From general to particular.
- Problem-Solution
- Cause and Consequences
- Other structures.
Other Elements:
Definitions, descriptions, enumerations, examples, comparisons, and contrasts.
Types of Argumentation:
- Rational Argumentation:
- Logic: Reasoning, modeling, generalization using sayings, morals, conclusions, etc.
- Analog: Comparison, contrast, metaphor.
- Affective Argumentation: Appeals to emotions, rhetorical devices, lexical connotations, evaluative adjectives.
The Study:
Presents a theme developed professionally, with accurate, thorough, and rigorous observations. It uses a conventional tone and language.
Classes of Study Texts:
- General Treatise: Covers broad aspects of a discipline.
- Monograph: Addresses a specific aspect in a comprehensive and exhaustive manner.
- Technical Article: A short survey aimed at specialists in the field.
- Informative Article: A study of ideas aimed at a broad audience.
- Review: A critical text that analyzes and evaluates another author’s work.
- Presentation: A text prepared to be read before specialists, such as at a congress.
Features of Study Texts:
- Thematic Unit: The author adheres to the subject without deviating.
- Objective Attitude: The author presents the theme as a product of research, avoiding personal opinions.
- Rigor in Treatment: The author provides all possible information, such as facts and dates, maintaining high stringency and comprehensiveness.
- Precision: The author uses a lexicon with specific terminology and jargon.
- Methodology: Includes explicit review of previous documentation, research, testing, and synthesis.
Essay:
In essays, the author gives their opinion on a particular subject, allowing for subjectivity and open to controversy. Essays are aimed at a broad audience, can be rich in features, and vary in length. Their internal structure is free and open, not focusing on a single topic but also exploring related ideas. The style is determined by the author.