Nominative Void
Pronunciation: ノミナティヴ・ヴォイド (Nominativu Voido)
Part of Speech: noun phrase
Definition:
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A theoretical or rhetorical condition in which no identifiable subject or agent is present to assume authorship, responsibility, or perspective within discourse or action.
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The absence of a speaking or accountable “who” in a communicative or argumentative context; a state where claims, statements, or acts appear to exist without attribution to a person or entity.
Examples:
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Argumentation cannot occur in a nominative void, since every claim presupposes a speaker or standpoint.
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Bureaucratic language often operates within a nominative void, obscuring who is responsible for decisions or actions.
Etymology:
From nominative (Latin nominativus, “pertaining to naming or the subject of a sentence”) + void (Latin vocivus, “empty”).
Philosophical Note:
Used metaphorically, the term critiques depersonalized or abstract discourse by emphasizing that reasoning, justification, and moral accountability always presuppose an identifiable subject. It highlights the impossibility of communication or ethical responsibility in the absence of agency.
Related Terms:
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subjectivity – the condition of being a conscious, responsible agent
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impersonal discourse – language that conceals or diffuses authorship
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accountability gap – the failure to identify who is answerable for an act or claim
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