
Contents
-
-
-
-
-
No Name-Givers: Ancient Epicureans on the Emergence of Language No Name-Givers: Ancient Epicureans on the Emergence of Language
-
After the Deluge: How to Marry Epicurus and Genesis After the Deluge: How to Marry Epicurus and Genesis
-
Between Nature and Artifice: The Trouble with Epicurus Between Nature and Artifice: The Trouble with Epicurus
-
Passionate Speech: Reinterpreting Descartes on Language Passionate Speech: Reinterpreting Descartes on Language
-
Signs of What? The Crisis of Sensualist Epistemology Signs of What? The Crisis of Sensualist Epistemology
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
1 1 The Mutual Emergence of Language, Mind, and Society: An Enlightenment Debate
Get access-
Published:September 2012
Cite
Abstract
This chapter surveys the emergence of the cognitive and social aspects of language as a central intellectual problem from the late 17th century onwards. Having rediscovered an ancient naturalistic account of the emergence of language, the theory elaborated by Epicurus and Lucretius, contemporaries made cautious attempts to merge it with the biblical narrative. This synthesis usually included the postulation of long ages of barbarism and bestiality after the Deluge, and the downgrading of the status of Adam's allegedly perfect language. However, the revival of the Epicurean history of language and civilisation involved serious difficulties. The most challenging problem was the assumed transition from natural sounds to artificial, man-made words. The incommensurability between these two categories persistently haunted Enlightenment thinkers across Europe.
Sign in
Personal account
- Sign in with email/username & password
- Get email alerts
- Save searches
- Purchase content
- Activate your purchase/trial code
- Add your ORCID iD
Purchase
Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.
Purchasing informationMonth: | Total Views: |
---|---|
October 2022 | 2 |
November 2022 | 2 |
December 2022 | 1 |
January 2023 | 3 |
February 2023 | 7 |
March 2023 | 6 |
April 2023 | 6 |
May 2023 | 1 |
June 2023 | 3 |
August 2023 | 1 |
September 2023 | 2 |
October 2023 | 6 |
November 2023 | 3 |
December 2023 | 2 |
January 2024 | 6 |
February 2024 | 3 |
March 2024 | 6 |
April 2024 | 2 |
May 2024 | 1 |
June 2024 | 6 |
July 2024 | 9 |
August 2024 | 3 |
November 2024 | 2 |
January 2025 | 2 |
February 2025 | 2 |
March 2025 | 5 |
April 2025 | 2 |
Get help with access
Institutional access
Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:
IP based access
Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.
Sign in through your institution
Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.
If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.
Sign in with a library card
Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.
Society Members
Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:
Sign in through society site
Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:
If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.
Sign in using a personal account
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.
Personal account
A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.
Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.
Viewing your signed in accounts
Click the account icon in the top right to:
Signed in but can't access content
Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.
Institutional account management
For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.