J. G. v. Herder and W. v. Humboldt: reflections upon the origin of language: a comparative essay, with a commentary on recent developments in the philosophy of language

Title: J. G. v. Herder and W. v. Humboldt: reflections upon the origin of language: a comparative essay, with a commentary on recent developments in the philosophy of language
Source document: Pro-Fil. 2014, vol. 15, iss. 2, pp. [14]-28
Extent
[14]-28
  • ISSN
    1212-9097
Type: Article
Language
License: Not specified license
 

Notice: These citations are automatically created and might not follow citation rules properly.

Abstract(s)
V této studii se pokusím prozkoumat paralely mezi Herderem, Humboldtem a některými moderními výzkumy vzniku jazyka. Herder se přiklání k panpsychickému pojetí přírody a předkládá teorii, která tvrdí, že pouze jazyk může zařídit zprostředkování mezi lidským abstraktním uvažováním a obsahem, který lidem poskytují smysly. Humboldt pak preferuje kantovskou transcendentální analýzu formy jazyka, formy závisející na lidské mentální aktivitě a tudíž mající dynamický charakter. Výsledek je možné shrnout v tezi, že zatímco Herder spekuluje o vzniku jazyka, Humboldt se pokouší o podání teorie vznikání jazyka syntetickými akty. Problémy spojené s narativním stylem teoretizování mohou být demonstrovány na kontrastu s dvema moderními autory, totiž s R. G. Millikanovou a M. Tomaselem.
In my essay I try to explore a parallel between Herder and Humboldt and some modern investigations into the origin of language. Herder favors a pan-psychistic account of nature, and he proposes a theory maintaining that only language can do the business to mediate between the abstract reasoning of man and the content delivered to him by his senses. Humboldt, in his turn, prefers a Kantian transcendental analysis of the form of language, the form being dependent on man's mental activity and therefore dynamical in character. We may summarize this result in the thesis that Herder is speculating on the origin of language whereas Humboldt attempts to give a theory of the origination of language by synthetic acts. Problems connected with a narrative style of theorizing can also be demonstrated by contrasting two modern authors, namely R. G. Millikan and M. Tomasello.
References
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