Der Affe und die Sprachverweigerung

Ein sozialkritisches Motiv zwischen Ethnographie und Philosophie

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Zurück zum Heft: Archiv für Begriffsgeschichte. Band 51
DOI: 10.28937/9783787336739_8

EUR 16,90

This essay deals with an ethnographic-historical motive of apes conceptionalised to be competent of language but refrained from actualizing their potential in order not to pressed to (slave-)labor. This idea was coined in the 17th century and transmitted in various contexts for three centuries. The mental image of apes competent in language can be understood as a variation of the popular motive of bon sauvage transformed into the world of the animals. This evocative image was generated within the discourse on language, labor and social hierarchies. Looking at the history of the motive we can detect various significant variations. Furthermore this article sheds some light on the usage of ethnographical anecdotes in philosophical and literary texts.