Abstract

This paper examines the notion of silence by scrutinizing different types of silence that can be distinguished from multiple classificatory criteria and from a plurality of methodological and disciplinary perspectives: phenomenological, epistemological, axiological, sociological, and historical. The aim of this analysis of the versatility of silence is to argue that a conceptual history (Begriffsgeschichte) critical of silence is an essential requirement for making progress in our understanding of human beings and their social, cultural and historical productions.Keywords: silence, conceptual history, culture, memory, expression.