G
ENESIS AND
D
ECLINE OF THE
L
ANGUAGE
. S
IGNS
, W
ORDS AND
S
OCIETY BETWEEN
V
ICO AND
M
ALEBRANCHE
. We intend to shed light on the points that the
Malebranchian conception of language has in common with the perspective of
Vico, as well as those that differ. Malebranche alludes to the historical depth of
words, throwing light on the consolidation of language through practice and
grasping the popular origin of terms used ordinarily; he does not, however, fully
investigate the historicity of language as Vico does. Vico, while sharing some of
the French philosopher’s metaphysical premises, understands words and all things
human in the fullness of their meaning and gives a reconstruction of their gene-
sis. Malebranche, in reality, questions the use that men make of language. This
criticism, combined with an x-ray of the decadence of the society of the time, was
born of a need to safeguard the rational ‘instrumentality’ of the word, which
ought to be the means by which man is able to communicate metaphysical, scien-
tific and moral truths.
GENESI E DECADENZA DEL LINGUAGGIO
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