Discourse as hammer and surface, or how to silence (or not) doubts

Abstract

The present essay raises some questions about the effects of mediation in discourse, especially when it operates with the contradictory references natural versus social to guide the understanding of the processes of (de)humanization of our world. The theoretical orientation is based, initially, on Bakhtin, specifically in what concerns his conception of discourse as social reflection and refraction, and as a dialogic and polyphonic process. In relation to the theme of the possible meanings of “human life”, the contributions of Lukács and Heller allow a discussion, even though restricted to the confines of this article, of the effects of conceptual and operational mistakes and the relevance of discourse to overcome them.