On foundations of a linguistic conception in works of the Cappadocian Christian thinkers (4 A.D.)

The aim of this paper is to research a practically unexplored side of St. Basil theGreat and St. Gregory of Nyssas theological meditations concerning the nature and functioning of language. Author argues that basic linguisticideas of the named intellectuals form rather integrated and profound system. Its character was determined by philosophical and theologicalcontext of the early and the late Hellenism as well as the theological discussion with adherents of Eunomys heresy. Eunomy statedthat all nouns mean something either with help of human co-thinking (επίνωια) or according essence of named objects. Only words of thesecond kind are true and useful: they express a nature, or a logos, an idea of a referred thing. Theological core of the Eunomian doctrinecomprised a thesis that God Fathers essence is fully expressed with the notion unbornness, and God Sons essence - with the notionbornness. An implicit consequence of that thesis was an idea that Jesus Christ is not God due to difference between His and God Fathersnature. St. Basil the Great argued that Eunomys nouns distinction is false and intellectually unsatisfactory. In his opinion, meanings of allnatural words are created exclusively with help of human co-thinking. And none of them can exhaust an essence of any thing. It is especiallytrue when we talk about God nature. Orthodox Cappadocian thinkers looked upon language as a product of a human art (τέχνη). Intheir epoch art was perceived as a sort of useful practical activity demanding certain proficiency. Being an artefact language is relative andchangeable. An evident fact of its national forms multiplicity clearly testifies it. St. Basil sharing a conventionalist view upon the languageconnected a postulate of communicative responsibility with it. St. Gregory of Nyssa with more perseverance affirmed the idea of languageas an artefact possessing a conventional nature. Human relativity of language spills light on main features of its essence. In the thinkersopinion, one of these features is manifested in utilitarian limitedness of language semantic volume. According to his idea, language developedin a natural way. Its evolution was determined by human psychological and physiological organization as well as by external environment.St. Gregory paid special attention to aims of language usage. He argued that language organized and kept an obtained knowledge inour memory. It is a memorative and cognitive aspect of its functioning manifested in it. Besides, speech serves as a sort of material mediatorfor thoughts. It expresses them outside an acting mind. As far as a communicative function is concerned, the episcope of Nyssa did not distinguishit as initial and general. He was inclined to treat it as dependent on an expressive aim.

Keywords

Authors

References