ABSTRACT
Thecontemporarynotionthatthespecial taskofphilosophyistheanalysisofsyntaxis, wesuggest,anideologicalformula,aprojective definition.Suchadefinitionpromotestheseparationofphilosophyfromtheactualitiesof life-decisions;itdefinesaphilosophicalrealm whichhasascholasticautonomy,andproposes indeedthatphilosophersarelexicographers,the formulatorsofthenexteditionofdictionaries. I f philosophiesarelinkedtosocialinstitutions, ifeveryphilosophyistheperspectiveofasocioculturaluniverse,itfollowsthatthecritiqueof
ORDINARILY,languageistakenforgranted.Its fluentandeasyuseleadstotheassumptionthat itisatransparentmediumforthetransmission ofthought.Becauseitoffersnoapparentobstacletoourcustomaryflowofideas,oneassumesthatitisavehicleequallyfittedto conveyanybeliefs.Scientifically,itisassumed tobeofinteresttolinguistsandperhapsto psychologistsinterestedinchilddevelopment oraphasia,butthatisall.Suchaconception
FromPaulHenle(Ed.),L a n g u a g e , T h o u g h t , a n d C u l t u r e . Copyright©1958bytheUniversity ofMichiganPress.Reprintedbypermissionofthe publisherandtheauthor.PaulHenlewasProfessor ofPhilosophy,UniversityofMichiganatthetime ofhisdeathin1962.
