The Place of the Philosophy of Language in Modern Western Philosophy

Abstract

Language plays an essential role in social life, and especially in the life of our modern information society. Studies of language have long been a vital part of philosophical research in the West. In ancient Greek philosophy, Socrates investigated word meaning and Plato universals (i.e., general concepts). Aristotle separated the essence of the matter from accidental factors, postulating that the essence of a thing determines our study of its concept. Closer to our own time, Francis Bacon proposed the concept of "Idols of the market-place," which deals with mistakes caused by different interpretations of word meanings. Thomas Hobbes developed the theory of names and referents. John Locke created the ideational theory of meaning. John Stuart Mill proposed the theory of word meaning and extension. Franz Brentano created the theory of intentionality. To sum up, from Ancient Greece to modern times, language has always been the focus of attention for many philosophers. However, these philosophers never regarded their investigations as a necessary condition and a prerequisite of philosophical research.