Systems of self-reference and address forms in intellectual discourse

This paper investigates politeness employed by authors of intellectual discourse to make reference to themselves as well as the means used to address the audience (the listener or the reader). We consider the system of reference in intellectual discourse both as a direct result of the rhetoric of science and as a display in terms of power and solidarity. We then discuss the reference systems used in intellectual discourse in a number of languages, identifying the differences and potential source of interferences in this area.