Lecture 3:
❖ Étienne Bonnot de Condillac
❖ Giambattista Vico
❖ Johann Gottfried Von Herder
1
Étienne Bonnot de Condillac (1714–1780)
Étienne Bonnot de Condillac, an 18th-century
philosopher known for his radical theory of
sensationism.
Condillac posited that all knowledge and identity
stem from sensory input, challenging the notion
of innate ideas and viewing the mind as a blank
slate (Tabula Rasa) shaped by experience.
Source: Pierre-Michel
Alix, Public domain, via
Wikimedia Commons.
2
Senses giving rise to knowledge
His famous statue thought experiment illustrates this,
gradually adding senses to demonstrate how touch, in
particular, enables a coherent understanding of objects
and space.
He further explores how attention, memory, and
language develop from these basic sensations, with
language being crucial for higher human cognitive
abilities and social interaction.
Embodiment and language in
Condillac
• Essay on the Origin of Human Knowledge (1746)
• Essay on the Origin of Languages (1746).
• Focused on language as emerging from human
needs and sensations, stressing its role in thought
and reasoning.
• the development of language is also intertwined
with our social interactions.
Main tenets
He argued that language originated in and from natural condition
Language originated with the beginning of our species
In the beginning, it was more of ‘cries of passion’ ( Condillac 1746; part II; 5-6)
As language ‘progressed’ and ‘cultivated’ such cries were replaced by arbitrary
spoken signs
This resulted in more arbitrary and abstract form of language
Hence language can be a measure of ‘level of civilization.
Origin in Natural Signs
These are initial, often instinctive, expressions such as cries,
gestures, and facial expressions.
Condillac’s key E.g.,
concepts and a baby crying when hungry or
someone flinching instinctively from danger are considered
ideas about the "seeds of language" (Condillac, 1746).
language Shaped by Experience and Association
Even these seemingly simple natural signs are not purely
instinctive; experience and association shape them.
Over time, a baby's cry, initially a physiological response,
becomes associated with the relief of being fed or held,
transforming into a way of communicating a need.
The Language of Action
As individuals interact with others, these natural signs
become more intentional and organized, leading to
what Condillac termed the "language of action".
This stage involves deliberate communication, where
individuals might point to the source of pain or use
gestures and expressions to convey specific meanings,
moving beyond mere instinctual expression.
Stepping Stone to Spoken and Written Language
The language of action is the crucial stepping-stone to
spoken language. As people become more adept at
communicating through actions, they develop more
complex signs, eventually leading to the emergence of
spoken words and, subsequently, written language.
Crucial Role of Social Interaction
Condillac's theory highlights the critical role of social
interaction in language development. He argued that
language does not develop in isolation but rather emerges
from our fundamental need to communicate with each other,
share experiences, and coordinate actions. Therefore, for
Condillac, language is both a product of our social nature and
a driving force in shaping that social nature
Enabling Higher Cognitive Abilities
Language is seen as the key that unlocks higher levels of
thought in humans. Condillac attributed unique human
capabilities, such as morality, abstract reasoning, and even
the knowledge of God, to our advanced language skills and
capacity for reflection.
Distinguishing Humans from Animals
While Condillac acknowledged that animals possess
basic reflection and habit formation, he noted
limitations in their minds, believing they are
primarily driven by immediate needs and sensory
capabilities, particularly touch.
Thus, language is what truly sets humans apart,
allowing us to develop higher cognitive abilities.
Tool for Progress
Beyond individual thought, Condillac viewed
language as a powerful tool for analyzing ideas
and a driving force behind the progress of arts and
civilization.
It enables humans to form communities, build
cultures, and pass on knowledge across
generations.
Giambattista Vico (1668–1744)
Italian philosopher, best known for his work
"The New Science" (1725).
Emphasized the historical and cultural
evolution of language, myth, and human
societies.
Source: Francesco Solimena / Encyclopædia Universalis 𝒲. License: Public domain
10
Vico's Philosophy of Language
● language developed from poetic and metaphorical beginning
● a critic of Descartes’ Cartesian rationalism and was a proponent of concept called
"verum factum," suggesting that true knowledge comes from creation and
experience rather than abstract reasoning.
● not merely as a tool for communication but as a "window into the human mind" and
a "reflection of how we make sense of the world".
● language's development is intimately tied to the stages of societal evolution, which
he called the ages of gods, heroes, and men.
Vico's perspective on the origin of language is rooted in the "poetic origins of
society". He argued that early humans, whom he referred to as "sublime
poets," used language to comprehend the world long before sophisticated
philosophical systems emerged. They achieved this by explaining the world
through myths, metaphors, and stories. This suggests that "a poetic way of
thinking was the foundation of human understanding, a precursor to
philosophy itself".
The Three Ages of Language
As societies progress through historical ages, language also undergoes
a transformation and Vico divided it in three ages they are as follows:
Age of Gods
Language is primarily poetic, "full of metaphor and
imagery". In this stage, knowledge is deeply
intertwined with religion and superstition, and the
natural world is imbued with spirits and gods.
Age of Heroes
Language becomes more rhetorical. This reflects a
world where figures embody strength and
cunning, and aristocratic republics began to form,
with laws based on the power of the heroic class.
Age of Men
Language becomes abstract and analytical. This
age sees reason and reflection take centre stage,
with the rise of philosophy, science, and
democracy, where humans believe they can
understand the world through their intellect.
Johann Gottfried Herder (1744-1803)
Source: Gerhard von Kügelgen,
Public domain, via Wikimedia
Commons.
His influence
He influenced many great minds like Goethe,
Nietzsche, S T Coleridge, J S Mill, Wilhelm Von
Humboldt, Franz Boas and many others.
He is considered to be the founding father of
various academic disciplines like anthropology,
linguistics, hermeneutics.
On Origin of language
(1772)
● In his book “Treatise on the origin of language” (1772) he explains how
language began, why it is uniquely human, and how it is tied to culture
and thought.
● Herder strongly rejects the idea that language is divine or purely
instinctive and argues that it is a natural human creation shaped by
reason, emotion, and society.
● ‘Language is the organ of thought’ : language is that trait which
distinguishes humans from other animals and also, created diversity of
cultures.
● Humans are the only species that can adapt to any environment by
‘altering their culture’.
Reason and language are two sides of the same
human characteristic feature: ‘that language,
from without, is the true differential character of
our species as reason is from within’.
Popularized the idea of cultural plurality.
He was one of the first proponents of the idea
that language might be an indicator of the
character of a culture
Herder's Philosophy and Legacy
The People (Volk)
The people (volk) constitute the life spirit of a nation. Hence a people who
are conquered by alien cultures, resulting in the loss of their own language,
tend to lose their identity.
Anti-Imperialism
He was an anti-imperialist, as he thought imperialism destroys the essence of
a culture through the imposition of different language and other practices. He
was against the imperialist philosophers like Voltaire.
Cultural Identity
He was also against migration outside of one's native land: e.g. German
soldiers used by the British imperial war in far away America. Herder's
philosophy put emphasis on language as a part of cultural identity of a group
of people. 18
• Herder’s philosophy put
emphasis on language as a part
of cultural identity of a group of
people.
IN SHORT
• Different cultures tend to
coincide with different
languages.
19
End of lecture 3
20
REFERENCES
● Vico, G. (1725/1999). The new science (D. Marsh, Trans.).
● Condillac, É. B. de. (1746/2001). Essay on the origin of human knowledge (H. Aarsleff,
Trans.).
● Condillac, É. B. de. (1746/2001). Essay on the origin of languages (H. Aarsleff, Trans.).
● Herder, J. G. (1772/2002). Treatise on the origin of language (A. Gode, Trans.).
21
Annexures
22
The Enduring Power of Poetic Language
● What is particularly fascinating is that Vico did not view these as
completely separate stages. He believed that even in the Age of Reason,
"the poetic origins of language never entirely disappear". Humans continue
to use metaphors, tell stories, and are moved by language's power to
evoke emotions and create meaning.
● This suggests that there is always "a bit of the poet in us, even if we think
of ourselves as rational beings". For Vico, this enduring poetic element in
language is vital, as it "connects us to our shared humanity," allowing us to
create meaning and purpose in ways that reason alone cannot.
23
● He advocated for an integration of reason and imagination, creating a
"harmonious balance between the analytical and the poetic, the head and
the heart".
● Vico's analysis of Homer serves as a prime example of his views on
language. He contended that Homer's epics, such as The Iliad and The
Odyssey, were not solely the creation of a single individual genius. Instead,
he saw Homer as an "archetype," a "symbol of the poetic wisdom that
permeated ancient Greek culture," embodying a "collective voice
channeling the shared understanding of a whole people".
24
Homer and Poetic Wisdom
● Vico believed that Homer's poems reflected the census communis of the ancient
Greeks – their "shared understanding of the world, a set of beliefs, values and
ways of seeing things that were common to a particular culture at a particular
time". These epics were seen as a "cultural encyclopedia," a "repository of
knowledge and wisdom" that shaped the Greeks' understanding of themselves and
their place in the world, serving as a form of "poetic education".
● Ultimately, Vico's concept of "poetic wisdom" extends beyond merely writing
poems; it is "a way of seeing the world that embraces both reason and
imagination". It involves acknowledging the limits of reason and understanding
that truth can also be found in myths, metaphors, and stories, connecting with
deeper truths that speak to both the heart and mind. This "poetic impulse" is a
"vital part of what makes us human, a source of creativity, wisdom and ultimately
of hope". 25