Language Policy and Planning and the Role of the State
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14750728Keywords:
Normative Political Theory, State, State Traditions, Linguistic Justice, TerritorialityAbstract
This contribution aims to present the role of normative political theory in language policy and planning. It focuses on how this theory conceptualizes the state's management of languages and linguistic diversity based on its duties and responsibilities. The discussion begins by addressing the concept of the state and state power within the frameworks of the liberal and Marxist traditions. It then shifts to the models and approaches adopted in the normative debate within the liberal tradition concerning language policy and planning. The chapter also delves into the details of two competing theories of linguistic justice: Philippe Van Parijs’s and Alan Patten’s. These two theorists are among the most prominent political thinkers who have provided comprehensive, systematic, and normative reflections on the duties and roles of states in language policy and planning. Their theories are grounded in a diverse set of liberal principles with institutional and political implications for language and linguistic diversity.
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