Language & Silence

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The text offers a reflection on the role of culture in contemporary society, the state of literature, and the responsibilities of writers and artists. Throughout the twentieth century, ideologies such as Nazism and Stalinism, with their horrific distortions, sought to destroy Central European humanism. For decades, the persuasive techniques of mass media and advertising have promoted the spread of vulgarity, approximation, and greed. Conversely, sciences like mathematics and physics demand absolute precision from language. Steiner provides a ruthless diagnosis of the ailments that are depriving words of their power and legitimacy.