Abstract
The inaugural lecture is a key document on itself. Written by a lawyer who is also a philosopher, a poet and a politician, the idea of unity of discourses seems evidently predominant. One thus reads, as a declaration of principle: “Poetry, science and wisdom are not separated”. Legal science and linguistics are the main sciences which play a role in this text. He quotes himself in saying: “To the great practitioners of the Significs belong the scientifically trained Poets. Their passionate love for language will be tamed by the stern demands of scientific research, but this does not reduce their power”. And he adds: passion tamed by discipline: behold, this is the essence of my lessons!
His passion focuses on legal concepts, such as ‘person’, ‘contract’ ‘obligation’ or ‘liability’ and on the inner architecture of law as an institution and legal discourse as its medium of articulation. Differences between daily life and legal language are important: understanding how a legal person differs from the man in the street should bring layers to a better articulation of their own inherent concept of justice. Legal terminology, law’s terminological architecture and legal ethics go hand in hand. What judges say has consequences for the course of life. Do not discuss the fictitious character of the rules and concepts of legal vocabulary—lawyers shall not discuss their being but ultimately their effect via their actual legal and social meaning.
Source: JACOB ISRAEL DE HAAN: Wezen en taak der rechtskundige significa, First public lecture in Legal Significs at the University of Amsterdam, Tuesday October 31, 1916.
Published by: van Kampen, 1916, 32 pp.
Parallel printing in De Gids, Nr 80, 1916, p. 281—306.
Reprint of the latter in 1994: Ars Aequi Libri, Nijmegen 1994: “De taal zegt meer dan zij verantwoorden kan” [Language articulates more than it can justify], Ed.: Prof. Mr. G.C.J.J. van den Bergh. (Translation Dutch/English: Eds.)
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Notes
- 1.
Emile Male: Art religieux du XIIIe siècle en France (Paris 1898), [Religious art in the xii century] quoted by Dr A. Pit: De overgang van ‘Gothiek’ tot ‘Renaissance’ en van Realisme tot Idealisme, [The transition from Gothic to Renaissance and from Realism to Idealism] in: Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, [Journal of Philosophy] I, 1907, p. 347.
- 2.
Frederik van Eeden, Poezie, Wijsbegeerte en Mathesis [Frederik van Eeden, Poetry, Philosophy and Mathesis] in: De Beweging II 1906, part III, p. 21.
- 3.
Nico van Suchtelen: Het Al-enig Leven, een dichterlijk-wijsgerige Geloofsbelijdenis, [The All-Eternal Life, a poetic-philosophical Confession] in: De Beweging, III 1907, p. 15: “Woord en Werkelijkheid” [Word and Reality].
- 4.
Prof. G.J.P.J.Bolland: in Tijdschrift voor Wijbegeerte I 1907, p. 117.
- 5.
Rechtskundige Significa en hare toepassing op de begrippen “Aansprakelijk,Verantwoordelijk, Toerekeningsvatbaar”, [Legal Significs and her application to the terms ‘Liable, Responsible, Accountable], Amsterdam 1916, p. 81.
- 6.
ˆProf. Dr. T. Cannegieter: Het mysterie der tegenstellingen in ‘s menschen zieleleven, [The mystery of oppositions in human psychic life] in: Teylers Theologisch Tijdschrift, III 1905, p. 362.
- 7.
Mr. C. Asser’s Handleiding tot de beoefening van het Nederlandsch Burgerlijk Recht, [Manual for the practice of Dutch Civil Law] Mr. Paul Scholten, (Ed.) Vol. I, 1912(4), p. 621–622.
- 8.
Rechtskundige Significa en hare toepassing op de begrippen “Aansprakelijk, Verantwoordelijk, Toerekeningsvatbaar”, Amsterdam 1916, p. 86. See also: Hermann Weck: Die Sprache im deutschen Recht. Berlin [The language in German Law] 1913.
- 9.
Het recht der werkelijkheid. [The law of reality] Haarlem 1910, p. 24–26.
- 10.
Principes de linguistique psychologique, [Principles of psychological linguistics] Amsterdam 1907, and Handboek der Nederlandsche Taal, [Manual of the Dutch language] 2 Vols. Nijmegen 1913–1914.
- 11.
“Philosophie expérimentale” is an expression as astonishing and as normal as “philosophical experience”.
- 12.
Inleiding tot de taalkunde en de Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsch, [Introduction to the linguistics and history of the Dutch language] Vol. I, Ch VII, Brussels 1905, p. 124–125.
- 13.
Prof. mr. dr. A.A.H.Struycken, Het Rechtsbegrip, [The Concept of Law] Leiden 1903, p 1–3, 23, 48, 65. Prof. Mr. Dr. R. Kranenburg, De beteekenis der rechtsvergelijking voor de rechtsphilosophie, [The meaning of comparative law for the philosophy of law] Groningen 1915.
- 14.
Een wijsgeerige beweging in Nederland [A philosophical movement in the Netherlands], Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, I, 1907, p. 15 and Het levende woord, [The living word] in Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, III, 1909, p. 280.
- 15.
In the prospectus of the University, legal significs is described as “Significatio verborum eorum quae ad jus pertinent.”
- 16.
Also a significian searches for norms pertaining to the use of language. A description of an infinite reality is not possible in language, see: Prof. Dr. Ph. Kohnstamm: Transcendenteel idealisme, [Transcendental Idealism] in: Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, I, (1907), p. 28,43. As mechanics does not describe movements, so significs does not describe meanings, nor history or reality. Significs, mechanics and history research the essence in meanings, movements and reality. See: Dr. A. Rutgers van der Loeff, Het wezenlijke in de Geschiedenis, [The essential in History] in: Onze Eeuw IX, (1909), p. 353–370.
- 17.
Frits Mauthner: Beiträge zu einer Kritik der Sprache, [Contributions to a Criticism of Language] Stuttgart 1901, II, Chapter 7, p. 263. See also: Lady Victoria Welby: Significs and Language, London 1911, p. 37.
- 18.
Albert Verwey in De Beweging, VI, January 1910, p. 99 (see note 2); Michel Bréal, Essai de sémantique, Paris 1897, p. 3: “les langues indo-européennes sont condamnées au language figuré.”
- 19.
In Hebrew, ‘walking’ and ‘desiring’ have the same stem letters; see Ahrun Marcus: Barsilai, Sprache als Schrift der Seele; Ebräisches Wurzel-Wörterbuch, [Barsilai, Language as Writing of the Soul: Hebraic Dictionary of Hebraic Stem-words] Krakau 1908.
- 20.
Dr. G.A. van den Bergh van Eysenga: Hegel en de Stoa, [Hegel and the Stoa] in Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, II, 1908, p. 253–255.
- 21.
Lady Victoria Welby: Significs and Language, London 1911, p. 46. The words with which we indicate our feelings are sensual. Dr. J. van Ginneken: Het gevoel in Taal en Woordkunst, [The senses in Language and Poetry] in Leuvensche Bijdragen, X, 1912–1913, p. 1–156.
- 22.
Lady Welby, Significs and Language, p. 46.
- 23.
Lady Welby, Significs and Language, p. 22.
- 24.
Prof. L.E.J.Brouwer: Leven, Kunst en Mystiek, [Life, Art and Mysticism] Delft 1905, p. 60 f.
- 25.
Lady Welby, What is Meaning? London 1903, Ch. VI. Did the earth already turn around the sun before Copernicus? See: Prof. L.E.J.Brouwer: Over de grondslagen der wiskunde, [The Foundations of Mathematics] Amsterdam 1907, p. 104; Prof. Dr. Ph. Kohnstamm: Psychologie en logica, [Psychology and Logic] in Tijdschrift voor wijsbegeerte, I, 1907, p. 385.
- 26.
Salomo ben Jehuda, Strophe 11, 5&6. See M.H. van Campen: Oude en nieuwe Joodsche Dichtkunst, [Jewish Poetry, Old and New] in: De Gids, 1916, p. 534–537; see also: J.van Ginneken: Principes de linguistique psychologique, Amsterdam 1907, §250.
- 27.
Dr. C. Lecoutere: Inleiding tot de Taalkunde en de Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsch, [Introduction to the Linguistics and History of the Dutch language] Brussels 1905, p. 74–75.
- 28.
Het Al-Eenig Leven, [The All-Unique Life] in: De Beweging, 1907, p. 7–8.
- 29.
Dr. Van Suchtelen, chemist, used here an excellent linguistic image. The mathematician Prof. Brouwer formulates the same thought: “Do not interpret mathematical formulae as independent truth, but as a means to remember as economically as possible how in one building another is built”, in: Over de grondslagen der wiskunde, [The Foundations of Mathematics] Amsterdam 1907, p. 176.
- 30.
So, thinking in words is ejective. That insight could for instance finish the discussions between Prof. Brouwer and Prof. Kohnstamm about the earth turning around the sun. Is there a difference between a conviction and a truth, which means: is psychology logic? Prof. Kohnstamm objectifies the truth and Prof. Brouwer subjectifies her. But the objective is the objective of the subjective and the subjective is the subjective of the objective. Both can only be thought as united and separated. It means that thinking in words is ejective. Language articulates more than it can justify. We should not say more than: sun—earth—turning—I. See: Prof. Dr Ph. Kohnstamm: Psychology en Logica, [Psychology and Logics] in Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, I, 1907, p. 385–426, and Prof. Dr. G. Heymans, De psychologische methode in de logica, [The psychological method in logics] in Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte II, 1908, p. 207–238. In a conference of Prof. Dr. Chantepie de la Saussaye about “De Christelijke Godsidee”, [The Christian Idea of God] a participant, Dr. Klomp, uttered his astonishment at having heard the idea that a truth does not exist if there is nobody who takes that truth for true. “Is there not an objective truth?” he objected. The speaker answered: “There would not be a truth if there were no individuals to support that truth, because truth is a relational concept.” This means, truth is ejective, but to articulate that ejective truth, we must get along without an appropriate, ejective language. See: Algemeen Handelsblad, May 3, 1916, p. 7.
- 31.
Prof. Dr. L.E.J.Brouwer: Leven, Kunst en Mystiek, Delft 1905, p. 38.
- 32.
Fritz Mauthner: Beiträge zu einer Kritik der Spache, Stuttgart 1901, Vol. III, p. 241. The word also splits in numerous meanings and unites these again in that one word.
- 33.
Gedenkboek der Wereldbibliotheek, [Commemorative volume of the world-library] Amsterdam 1915, p. 240.
- 34.
Poincaré: “Les homes ne s’entendent pas parce qu’ils ne parlent pas la même langue et qu’il y a des langues qui ne s’apprennent pas”, see Prof Brouwer: Intuitionisme and Formalisme, Amsterdam 1912, p. 29.
- 35.
Poezie, Wijsbegeerte en Mathesis, in: De Beweging, July 1906, p. 35–36 (see note 2).
- 36.
Het Al-Eenig Leven (see Note 28).
- 37.
For instance Peanistic Signs; Prof. Brouwer: Intuitionsme en Formalisme (see note 34). P. 177: “A mathematical view on language signs, either words or Peanistic signs, can us not teach anything about mathematics.”
- 38.
De onbetrouwbaarheid der logische principes, [The unreliability of logical principles] in Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, II, 1908. P. 156.
- 39.
Positief recht en rechtsbewustzijn. Groningen 1912, p. 83–87.
- 40.
Two theories called in earlier Dutch “opstel”, for instance in the period of witch trials, see Nederlandsch Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde 60, 1916 p. 963.
- 41.
F. Schiller: “An den Dichter” [To the Poet]: “Laß die Sprache di sein was der Körper den Liebenden; Er nur ist’s der die Wesen trennt und der die Wesen vereint”.
- 42.
Rechtskundige significa, [Legal Significs] in: Groot Nederland, 1916, p. 333.
- 43.
Frederik van Eeden: Redekunstige grondslag van de verstandhouding, [Rhetorical Foundations of Communnication] in Studies, Vol. III, Amsterdam 1890. Reviewed by Dr. Jac van Ginneken, in: Principes de linguistique psychologique, Amsterdam 1907, § 269.
- 44.
Jakob Böhme: “so du magst eine Stunde schweigen von allem deinem Wollen und Sinnen, so wirst du unaussprechliche Worte Gottes hören”. The expressive force of such words, which at the same time posit and abolish themselves do raise doubts about the principium contradictions. The words of Böhme are quoted from L.E.J.Brouwer: Leven, Kunst en Mystiek (see note 31).
- 45.
Groot Nederland (14), 1916, p. 334.
- 46.
Jacob Israël de Haan: Taal en rechtswetenschap, [Language and Legal Science] in W [weekblad van het recht] [Weekly Law Journal] 9949, 1916.
- 47.
Lady Victoria Welby: Significs and Language, London 1911, p. 7 & 8.
- 48.
On the word “law”, see: Hermann Weck: Die Sprache im deutschen Recht, Berlin 1913, on “Law and Language”, p. 1–43.
- 49.
On the phenomenon of materialization, see: Michel Bréal: Essai de sémantique, [Essay on Semantics] Paris 1897, Chap. XIII: “Des mots abstraits et de l’appaississement du sens”. This is the way the word “mark” has become materialized. Originally it referred to a sign on an object. Later it referred to an object that has was made for this mark. Art. 3. of the “Patent and Trademark Law” is vague and dangerous to use. Compare the materialization of the mark and the stamp. A fiscal advocate for the Marines and the Army went very deeply into that process of materialization—see Algemeen Handelsblad Sept. 17, 1916— and remarked: “Here one is a slave of the law”. I would say: “Here is one slave of one’s spiritual life”.
- 50.
Handelingen der Nederlandsche Juristen-Vereniging, 1961 with Preadviezen.
- 51.
Prof. Scholten in Asser’s Handleiding, [Manual] I, Zwolle 1912, p. 79.
- 52.
The famous Art.1 of the Swiss Civil Law (1907) urges the judge to act in accordance with the customary law or “nach der Regel, die er als Gesetzgeber aufstellen würde” (the rule he would issue if he were legislator). It means: at the moment of his judgment and not at the moment of an eventual legislation. Compare W 8926, Amsterdam court, See: Prof. Mr. H. Krabbe: De moderne staatsidee, [The modern idea of State] Den Haag 1915, p. 111.
- 53.
Prof. Dr. Philipp Heck: Gesetzesauslegung und Interessenjurisprudenz, [Legal interpretation and jurisprudence based on interest] Tübingen 1914.
- 54.
De moderne staatsidee, p. 37. See also Prof. Mr. Dr. Kranenburg in Rechtsgeleerd Magazijn, Aug. 1916, p. 326–330, and Prof. Mr. Dr. A.A.H.Struycken, in: De Gids, [The guide] 1916, Nr 3, p. 486 ff.
- 55.
See on the word “power” or “force” in physics, the index in: Dr. J. Clay: Het begrip der natuurwet in de nieuwere wijsbegeerte, [The concept of a law of physics in the newer philosophy] Leiden 1915. Law has been made completely subjective by the identification of “law” and “legal consciousness”. Those who interpret law, custom and justice as “sources of law” will, in contrast, objectify the Law. But: Law is ejective. However, for articulating an ejective law, we do not dispose of an appropriate language.
- 56.
Prof. Kranenburg: Positief recht en rechtsbewustzijn, [Positive Law and Legal Consciousness] Groningen 1912. (see note 39). On the relation between “legal consciousness” and “interest”, see Krabbe: De moderne staatsidee, p. 115 f.
- 57.
Krabbe: De moderne staatsidee, Den Haag 1915, p. 9, 170.
- 58.
The word “State” is a materialized metaphor with a particularly strong and misleading power. The word should, however, not be more than a simple name for a collection of human phenomena. But our language made the state into a superhuman person living in an external world independent of the human mind. This gave room to the fatal opinion that relations between states are allowed, which would never be allowed among individuals. See: Krabbe: De moderne Staatsidee, p. 142, 187–188, and L.H.Grondijs: Het vraagstuk van den wereldvrede, [The issue of world peace] in: Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte, I, 1907, p. 162, as well as: Prof. A. Menzel: Zur Psychologie des Staates, [The psychology of the State] Vienna 1915.
- 59.
Dr. Otto: Die Gewißheit des Richterspruchs, [The certainty of a judge’s decision] Hannover 1915 with this extremely surprising remark on p. 78: “Besser ein sicheres Unrecht als ein stets unsicheres Recht” [better a firm injustice than a continuously uncertain law].
- 60.
Prof. Mr. P. Scholten in Asser’s Handleiding, [Manual] Part I, Zwolle 1912, p. 649. And Mr. H. Louis Israëls: Rechter en Wet, [Judge and Law] in: De Telegraaf, Sept. 17, 1916.
- 61.
About the Druyvestein case, see Prof. Hymans: Het recht der werkelijkheid, [The law of reality] Haarlem 1910, p. 5 and Prof. Scholten: Recht en Levensbeschouwing, [Law and ideology] Haarlem 1915.
- 62.
Rechtskundige Significa, in: Groot-Nederland, Sept. 14, 1916, p. 334.
- 63.
(See the original in note 66). The very free German judicial decisions are subject of the articles by Ernst Fuchs & K. Schneider in the Journal Recht und Wirtschaft, [Law and Economy] 1916, p. 128–129.
- 64.
Prof. Mr. P. Scholten in Asser’s Handleiding, [Manual] Part I, Zwolle 1912, p. 368: “In those formal problems should lower courts accept the rules of the Supreme Court.”
- 65.
Prof. Mr. P. Scholten in Asser’s Handleiding, [Manual] Part I, Zwolle 1912, p. 321–322.
- 66.
Rechtskundige Significa, in: Groot-Nederland, Sept. 14, 1916, p. 334.
- 67.
De Beweging, Nr 12/3, Sept. 1916, p. 237. (see note 35)
- 68.
Prof. Dr. Ph. Kohnstamm: Psychologie en logica, in: Tijdschrift voor wijsbegeerte, I, 1907, p. 43, Prof. Mr. P. Scholten: Recht en Levensbeschouwing, Haarlem 1915, p. 22: “In each description is a qualification”; Prof. Dr. L.E.J.Brouwer: Over de grondslagen der wiskunde, Amsterdam 1907, p. 91.
- 69.
Prof. Dr. Sigmund Freud: De invloed van het onbewuste in het dagelijks leven, [The unconscious in daily life] J. Stärcke, Ed., Amsterdam 1916 and Prof. Dr. Sigmund Freud: De droom als uiting van het onbewuste zieleleven, [The dream as expression of the unconscious psychic life] J. Stärcke, Ed.,Leiden 1913/17, p. 38, note.
- 70.
In De Gids, August 1916, Nr 80/3.
- 71.
W 9954.
- 72.
Studiën [Studies] 1915, p. 337 note.
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De Haan, J.I. (2015). Essence and Task of Legal Significs. In: Broekman, J., Catá Backer, L. (eds) Signs In Law - A Source Book. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09837-1_8
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