Visagie, P. J.Van Reenen, Dionne2015-11-252015-11-252013-02-012013-02-012013-02-01http://hdl.handle.net/11660/1915English: Key theory, or Logosemantics, was formulated by Johann Visagie as part of a larger project known as Discourse Archaeology (DA) which is an interlocking set of sub-theories designed to investigate the structures, systems, patterns and relationships that occur in philosophical discourse. The present study gives a brief overview of the whole of DA so that Key theory can be placed in the context of Visagie’s expansive venture. The historical background from which Key theory emerged is sketched showing where the theory finds points of contact with thinkers in the field of philosophy who previously considered such occurrences in discourse. The systematic context looks to formulate a detailed explanation of Key theory components and their functions, as well as demonstrate its critical, pedagogical and descriptive import in the field of philosophy. A number of different philosophers’ work from varying fields, epochs and traditions is used to illustrate the diverse applications of the theory. In contrast, similarities between key elements are further used to diagnose typologies and trends across different time frames and conventions of thought. Seeing that all of the DA sub-theories operate within a systematic approach, the links to the sub-theories of Figurative Semiotic theory and Epistemic theory will also be explored as they are housed in the same faculty of the broader theory. In order to reach a fully generative analysis, it has proven fruitful to interface various departments with one another in order to form complexes which show the protological diversity required to begin asking the kinds of questions that initiate a detailed analysis. The target area for forming this line of inquiry is chosen as ethics and morality as it is an area which has proven notoriously complicated and often difficult for philosophy to deal with effectively either in explanation or evaluation. The link to Anthropology theory gives a brief outline of the possibility that the hierarchical structure contained in keys is universally representative of human theory-forming capacities. We seem to be constrained in some way to think like this and, consequently, we do not propose a rejection of all keys. We do suggest a deconstruction of keys so that the careful unpacking of concepts contained in, and implied by, key formulations can be evaluated and reconstructed with as much legitimacy as possible. The anticipation is to investigate the validity of acceptable key formulations and look for new conceptual links to replace or rework unacceptable formulations. This is a multi-disciplinary move away from absolutizations of thought and pure theory which we no longer consider plausible in philosophy.Afrikaans: ‘Key theory’ is ‘n onderafdeling van ‘n groter intellektuele projek, naamlik Diskoers Argeologie (DA), wat deur Johann Visagie ontwikkel is. DA is ‘n geintegreerde stel sub-teorieë waarmee die strukture, stelsels, patrone en verhoudings wat voorkom in filosofiese diskoers ondersoek kan word. Hierdie studie begin met ‘n kort oorsig van DA om aan te dui waar ‘Key theory’ geplaas kan word in die konteks van Visagie se omvattende projek. Die historiese agtergrond waaruit ‘Key theory’ ontstaan het wys waar die teorie punte van kontak vind met die denkers in die veld van filosofie wat voorheen sodanige voorvalle in diskoers oorweeg het. Dit word gevolg deur ‘n gedetailleerde sistematiese uiteensetting van die verskillende komponente van‘Key theory’ en hulle funksies – wat die kritiese, pedagogiese en beskrywende belang daarvan in die gebied van filosofie demonstreer. ‘n Hele aantal filosowe se werk word gebruik om die diverse toepassings van die teorie te illustreer en ooreenkomste tussen die sleutel-elemente word gebruik om die tipologieë en tendense, asook konvensies van denke oor verskillende velde, tydperke en tradisies te diagnoseer. Gegewe die feit dat al die DA sub-teorieë binne ‘n sistematiese benadering funksioneer word die skakels tussen die subteorieë van Figuurlike Semiotiese teorie en Epistemiese teorie ondersoek aangesien beide gehuisves word in dieselfde fakulteit binne die breër teorie. Om ‘n volle generatiewe analise te kan bereik, is dit noodsaaklik om koppelings tussen verskeie departemente te maak om ‘ geheel beeld van komplekse te vorm sodat die protologiese diversiteit ons kan lei om vrae te begin vra wat ‘n gedetaileerde analise kan voortbring. Etiek en moraliteit vorm die fokus van die lyn van ondersoek aangesien dit dikwels is ‘n gebied wat ingewikkeld is en dikwels moeilik vir filosofie om te hanteer óf in verduideliking óf in evaluering. Die skakel na Antropologie teorie gee ‘n kort uiteensetting van die moontlikheid dat die hiërargiese struktuur vervat in keys is universeel verteenwoordigend van menslike teorie-vorming vermoëns. In plaas daarvan om alle ‘keys’ bloot te verwerp, word eerder geargumenteer vir ‘n dekonstruksie van alle ‘keys’. So ‘n sorgvuldige uitpak van konsepte vervat in, en geïmpliseer deur, ‘key’ formulerings kan dan geëvalueer word en gerekonstrueer word wat aan dit legitimiteit kan verlee. Die studie het ten doel om die geldigheid van aanvaarbare formulerings te ondersoek en te kyk vir nuwe konseptuele skakels wat onaanvaarbare ‘keys’ kan laat vervang of herwerk. Hierdie is ‘n multidissiplinêre skuif weg van absoluterende denke en die idee van suiwer teorie wat nie meer as haalbare ideale in filosofie gesien word nie.enDissertation (M.A. (Philosophy))--University of the Free State, 2013Philosophy -- TerminologyAnalysis (Philosophy)Discourse analysisGround-ideasDeconstructionDestruktionConceptual metaphorsBinary oppositionsPhilosophical hierarchiesLogocentrismDiscourse archaeologyLogosemanticsKey theoryDissertationUniversity of the Free State