ABSTRACT
Writing in early 1999, I feel it is fairly superfluous to question the neutrality of linguistics or, even, ‘exact sciences’ such as physics and chemistry. However, the claim to a value-free, neutral or ‘autonomous’ linguistics is still a powerful one, rooted not only in the positivist-empiricist tradition but also maintained by the linguists’ political and ideological preferences, the interests of the discipline, and the historical context under which this area of knowledge is (re)produced and utilized. It may be useful, therefore, to examine the ways in which linguists try to de-politicize their study of language, and, by doing so, engage in highly partisan politics.
