Tilman Borsche

Leibniz’ Stellung in der Geschichte der Sprachphilosophie und der historisch-empirischen Sprachforschung, sein in immer neuen Entwürfen verfolgtes Projekt einer »Characteristica universalis«, seine neologistische Produktivität zur Bezeich [...]

Three exemplary models of how philosophical thinking is defined in the encounter with different cultures are critically discussed: 1. the self-centred model, in which other cultures are seen as preliminary stages of one's own way of thinking, 2. the competitive model, which calculates different traditions according to comparitve strengths and weaknesses, 3. the model of philosophy based upon the distinction between scientific and mythical ways of thinking, and which determines the value of philosophical assertions by reference to the employment of specific methods of representation.

The following contribution aims to present and evaluate the complex network of topics and ideas pertaining to language across the breadth of Leibniz’s writings. The first part provides a structured overview of Leibniz’s historical language studies, which played a pioneering role in evidence-based scientific investigations across various fields, such as the history of languages, the origin(s) of language(s), language change, and grammatical theory. It also explores Leibniz’s positions on language politics. The second part of the paper investigates the partially covered role that questions of language play in constructing Leibniz’s philosophical system, illuminating how much his philosophical achievements draw inspirations both from his juridical experiences and his mathematical inventions. The paper concludes with new insights into Leibniz’s conception of scientific truths, analyzing how we operate with words as signs of distinct primitive notions or ideas.