Humanistic Texts: Definition, Features, and Linguistic Traits
Humanistic Texts
Definition
Humanistic texts are of variable length, exploring subjective themes through rigorous argumentation and exposition. Characterized by freedom in subject choice, scope, and authorial perspective, they originated with Montaigne’s Essais (1580) and gained prominence during the Enlightenment (e.g., Jovellanos, Feijoo). Later embraced by the Generation of ’98 (e.g., Ganivet, Unamuno) and Novecento thinkers (e.g., Ortega y Gasset, Marañón, Sánchez Albornoz), this text type continues to flourish with contemporary authors like García Calvo, Fernando Savater, and José Antonio.
Features (cf. Book, pp. 147-150)
a. Shared with Scientific Texts:
- Discourse forms: Exposition and argumentation, with greater emphasis on argumentation in humanistic texts.
- Combined representative and expressive functions.
- Connectors (causal and consecutive): in addition, however, because, so, therefore, for, etc.
- Examples and clarifications, using dashes, brackets, colons, etc.
- Enumeration and organization with headings and subheadings.
- Facts and objective data as arguments.
- Arguments from authority and analogy.
- Specialized vocabulary (e.g., phrase, trauma, materialism, doctrine) with connotations shaped by historical context (e.g., capitalism, freedom, democracy, reason).
- Clarity and precision through definitions, explanations, summaries, parentheses, hyphens, colons, etc.
- Cohesion through lexical repetition and discourse markers.
- Appearance of objectivity through impersonal and passive sentences and nominalizations, despite inherent subjectivity.
- Universality conveyed through the timeless use of the definite article.
b. Shared with Literary Texts:
- Poetic function and emphasis on stylistic embellishment.
- Rich vocabulary exceeding scientific texts, approaching literary style.
- Explanatory adjectives with ornamental function, unlike scientific texts.
- Figures of speech (e.g., metaphor, comparison) reflecting authorial style.
c. Unique Linguistic Features:
- Subjectivity: Authorial viewpoint is evident through:
- First-person singular/plural verbs and pronouns.
- Connotative and evaluative lexicon (e.g., freedom, democracy, authority, communism, liberalism, faith) and value judgments (e.g., “the epic battle of Waterloo”).
- Verbs of language and thought (e.g., believe, think, judge, support).
- Expressive resources (e.g., questions, exclamations).
- Conservative lexicon reflecting traditional cultural fields, with evolving meanings and connotations.
- Neologisms in newer disciplines (e.g., psychology, economics) like “stock options” and “role.”
- Learned words in classical sciences (e.g., philosophy, history) like “dogma,” “per capita,” and “Paleolithic.”
- Predominant abstract nouns referring to conceptual and intellectual realities.
- Derivation using suffixes like “-ing,” “-tion,” “-ance/-ence,” “-ity,” “-ness,” and “-ism.”
- Elaborate and complex syntax with extensive subordination expressing logical relationships (causal, consecutive, concessive, conditional, final).