Philosophical Languages in the Seventeenth Century: Dalgarno, Wilkins, LeibnizThis book discusses three linguistic projects carried out in the seventeenth century: the artificial languages created by Dalgamo and Wilkins, and Leibniz's uncompleted scheme. It treats each of the projects as self contained undertakings, which deserve to be studied and judged in their own right. For this reason, the two artificial languages, as well as Leib niz's work in this area, are described in considerable detail. At the same time, the characteristics of these schemes are linked with their intellectual context, and their multiple interrelations are examined at some length. In this way, the book seeks to combine a systematical with a historical ap proach to the subject, in the hope that both approaches profit from the combination. When I first started the research on which this book is based, I intended to look only briefly into the seventeenth-century schemes, which I assumed represented a typical universalist approach to the study of lan guage, as opposed to a relativistic one. The authors of these schemes thought, or so the assumption was, that almost the only thing required for a truly universal language was the systematic labelling of the items of an apparently readily available, universal catalogue of everything that exists. |
Contents
7 | |
X | 11 |
the Art of Signs | 31 |
AS Ars Signorum Dalgarno 1661 | 39 |
DAC Dissertatio de Arte Combinatoria Leibniz 1666 | 55 |
the Art of Things | 135 |
Other editions - View all
Philosophical Languages in the Seventeenth Century: Dalgarno, Wilkins, Leibniz Jaap Maat Limited preview - 2004 |
Philosophical Languages in the Seventeenth Century: Dalgarno, Wilkins, Leibniz Jaap Maat No preview available - 2012 |
Common terms and phrases
accident according active addition adjective alphabet analysis animals appears argument basis belonging called character claims classification clear clearly combinations common complete compound concepts concerned connection considered consists construction contains Dalgarno defined definition denoting derived designated difference discussed distinction elements English Essay example existing explains expressed fact function further genera genus grammar hand ideas important indicates instance kind knowledge Latin learned Leibniz letter lexicon linguistic logical meaning mentioned method names natural noted notions noun object particles person philosophical language possible predicaments present primitive principle propositions radical words reason refer relation represented respect result rules says scheme seems shows signifying signs similar simple single sounds species speech structure substance symbols tables theory things thinking thought tion truth universal various verb whole Wilkins Wilkins's writing written