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Why Is Thought Linguistic? Ockham's Two Conceptions of the Intellect

In: Vivarium
Author:
Martin Lenz Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

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Online Publication Date:
01 Jan 2008
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Abstract

One of Ockham's fundamental tenets about the human intellect is that its acts constitute a mental language. Although this language of thought shares some of the features of conventional language, thought is commonly considered as prior to conventional language. This paper tries to show that this consensus is seriously challenged in Ockham's early writings. I shall argue that, in claiming the priority of conventional language over mental language, Ockham established a novel explanation of the systematicity of thought—an explanation which anticipates the idea that thought becomes systematic through the acquisition of conventional language.

Title:
Why Is Thought Linguistic? Ockham's Two Conceptions of the Intellect
Article Type:
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1163/156853408X360939
Language:
English
Pages:
302–317
Keywords:
MENTAL LANGUAGE; SEMANTICS; PRIORITY OF LANGUAGE OVER THOUGHT; SYSTEMATICITY; CONCEPTS
In:
Vivarium
In:
Volume 46: Issue 3
Publisher:
Brill
E-ISSN:
1568-5349
Print ISSN:
0042-7543
Subjects:
Medieval History, History, Intellectual History, Medieval Philosophy, Philosophy, Early Modern Philosophy

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