The politics of the language myth: reflections on the writings of Roy Harris

This paper examines the outlines of Roy Harris’ thought, focusing on those aspects of integrationism which have a political or socio-cultural dimension. It identifies central socio-political themes such as responsibility, creativity, the lay-speaker, and individual experience, and looks at some of the issues and difficulties raised in setting out the integrational position in these areas. One vexed question is the role and understanding of the lay speaker within integrational theory; a second is the status and ontology of ‘Standard English’. The paper disputes the presentation of Harris as a negative or destructive theorist, and argues that he is if anything a utopian thinker. While linguistics as discipline has not proved a particular responsive discussion partner, some strands in neighboring disciplines share a basic semiotic framework with integrationism. One example is the economist Friedrich von Hayek’s rejection of the idea of planning through rules and his notion of ‘spontaneous order’.

► Key themes in integrationism include responsibility, creativity, individual experience.
► Status of ‘lay-speaker’ within integrational theory requires further examination.
► Roy Harris as a utopian rather than negative thinker.
► Parallel between integrationism and Hayek’s notion of ‘spontaneous order’.