Discourse Structure Relationships (Based on International Legal “Soft Law” Discourse)

Abstract

The paper addresses the problem of discourse structure as one of the most controversial issue of contemporary linguistic studies. The research aims at identifying two principal types of structural relationships between discursive parameters. The aim and its corresponding tasks have been achieved through the use of the complex methodology integrating the methods of critical discourse analysis, 'speech act theory' explanatory tools combined with the methods of Grice's pragmatics, form / function pragmatics and some politeness theory procedures. The major finding is that there are two types of structural interrelations between discourse parameters, i.e. multi level or hierarchic relations manifested at the level of discourse system and single-level syntagmatic and paradigmatic links identified at the subsystems level. In international legal discourse the structure is specified as the hierarchical subordination of pragmatic and verbal devices to a single cognitive basis represented by the conceptual opposition between “sovereignty” and “common good”, resulted in the soft law strategy of normative mitigation in areas of international cooperation somehow intervening with the scope of the state sovereignty. The single-level type of structural relations is associated with both syntagmatic “if-then” links (when one pragmatic phenomenon triggers a set of other pragmatic devices) and paradigmatic connections (associative links of different pragmatic devices specifying the same concepts and its manifesting strategy).

Identification of structural links between multilevel and single-level discourse parameters contributes to the further study of discourse as a particular structured system.