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Rethinking Politeness with Henri Bergson offers the first English translation of a little-known essay by influential French philosopher Henri Bergson on the classifications of politeness acts. The translation is followed by a series of essays from scholars who critically engage with and build on Bergson's ideas, and recontextualize politeness as a key dimension of human sociability.
List of contents
- Acknowledgments
- Contributors
- Introduction
- Alessandro Duranti
- Politeness
- Henri Bergson
- Chapter One: A Sympathetic Reading of Bergson's Politeness
- Alessandro Duranti
- Chapter Two: Politeness is Political
- Mahalia Gayle
- Chapter Three: "Politesse," Power, and Point of View: Bergson's Essay in Comparative Perspective
- Judith T. Irvine
- Chapter Four: "Politeness has a heart": From Mantras to Stance-Taking in French Children's Socialization to Politeness
- Aliyah Morgenstern
- Chapter Five: "Hey, but that's not respectful!": Civic Discourse and Liberal Education
- in Pluralistic France
- Graham M. Jones
- Chapter Six: Giving up on Politeness: The Desire for Tactile Knowledge and the Art of
- Finding Life Lovable
- Terra Edwards
- Chapter Seven: The Surface of Politesse: Acting murt?? in Dhofar, Oman
- Kamala Russell
- Chapter Eight: Programming Politeness: Digital Servantry and the Rules of Social Engagement
- Keith M. Murphy
- Chapter Nine: Grace, Too: Reflections on Bergson's Ethics
- Jason Throop
- Chapter Ten: Bergson's intuitive politeness
- William F. Hanks
- Index
About the author
Alessandro Duranti is Distinguished Professor of Anthropology at UCLA. His books include From Grammar to Politics: Linguistic Anthropology in a Western Samoan Village (1994), the textbook Linguistic Anthropology (1997), The Anthropology of Intentions: Language in a World of Others (2015), and a number of edited volumes. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the recipient of the John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, the UCLA Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award, and the American Anthropological Association/Mayfield Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching.
Summary
Rethinking Politeness with Henri Bergson offers the first English translation of a little-known essay by influential French philosopher Henri Bergson on the classifications of politeness acts. The translation is followed by a series of essays from scholars who critically engage with and build on Bergson's ideas, and recontextualize politeness as a key dimension of human sociability.
Additional text
In the collective reflection initiated by Alessandro Duranti, Bergson's Discours sur la politesse, which was intended to edify high school students, becomes a profound and superb meditation, at the border between anthropology and linguistics, on the cultural, moral and political aspects of politeness - as it is and could be.
