Comparative Analysis of the Construction of Ethos and Audience in Centennial Argentinean Academic Discourses

Abstract

The deep political and cultural changes Argentina went through between 1890 and 1910 created numerous discursive materials in different social spheres. However, it was undoubtedly scientific discourse and academic discourse, which were most predominant at that time because of the importance attached to positivist progress. This article analyzes the complex construction of the academic discursive subject, which unveils the tension among the “doctor”, the “educator”, and the “politician” categories, based on the idea of “ethos”. In addition, it reflects on the configuration that, in parallel, the speaker envisions his own audience. The findings show singular discourse operations of indoctrination of students, aimed at securing and reproducing “social defense” with scientific criteria.