Meaning and ethical values: (preliminary surveys)

Abstract

This text proposes to reflect, based on semantic analyzes, on the historical constitution of ethical values. In other words, it proposes to consider the possibility of sustaining the validity of the establishment of ethical values based on the semantic-enunciative analysis of utterances and specific texts. For this purpose, it does enunciative analyzes of statements of texts that, directly or indirectly, designate or argue about something and thus move the sharing of a society's moral values. I will take texts from the history of Brazil since the 16th century involved in specific relations to the colonization process. Taking the issue along this path raises the analysis before the theme of cultural diversity, in time and space, and its relationship with the functioning of Brazilian society, and the litigation it produces. This procedure considers that meaning of language analysis can allow us to understand issues dealt with in the field of anthropology, history, sociology, ethics, for example. Due to the result of the analysis, we make at the end a reflection on the political character of the constitution of an ethics and consider that the analyzes indicate, as a fundamental ethical principle, the principle of equality.