THE CONVENTIONALITY OF LANGUAGE USAGE IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF ARISTOTLE

Abstract

What is the significance of Aristotle’s distinction between human language and natural language? What role does it play in his philosophy of language and the general history of semantics? First of all, it can be claimed that a language is a complex unit characterized by convention with a group of signs. Notwithstanding essential variations, Aristotle’s theory of signs as a means of communication that relies on spoken sounds is connected with the symbols of affections in the soul. Based on his observations, Aristotle argues, whereas other animals can only communicate with voices to reveal painful and pleasant things, only human beings can use language by convention to make apparent the good and the bad, the right and the wrong. From this viewpoint, it can be understood that language is a synthetic pattern or compound structure that is unique to human beings.

Keywords

• Aristotle
• convention
• language
• word
• sign
• symbol

ARISTOTELES FELSEFESİNDE LİSAN KULLANIMININ UYLAŞIMSALLIĞI

Öz

Aristoteles’in insana ait olan lisan ile doğal dil arasında yapmış olduğu ayrımın önemi nedir? Bu ayrım, onun dil felsefesinde ve genel anlambilim tarihinde nasıl bir rol oynar? İlkin, lisanın bir grup simge vasıtasıyla uylaşımsal olarak ayırt edici özellikte olan girift bir birlik olduğu dile getirilebilir. Birtakım temel çeşitlemelere karşın, Aristoteles’in simgeler teorisi, konuşulan seslere dayalı bir iletişim aracı olarak ruhta içkin olan etkilenimlerin sembolleriyle bağlanak halindedir. Aristoteles, gözlemlerinden hareketle, diğer hayvanların sadece acı ve haz verici şeyleri belirtmek için seslerle iletişim kurabildiğini, ancak yalnızca insanların uylaşım sayesinde, iyi ve kötü olanı, doğru ve yanlış olanı görünür kılmak için lisan kullanabildiğini ileri sürer. Bu açıdan bakıldığında, lisanın insana özgü yapay bir model veya bileşik bir yapı olduğu anlaşılabilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Aristoteles
• uylaşım
• lisans
• sözcük
• simge
• sembol

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