语言:由“此岸”通向“彼岸”的符号阶梯——宗教与语言关系概说

Language:The Sign Ladder from "This Shore" to "That Shore" ——A Generality of Relationship Between Religion and Language

语言是构成宗教观念十分重要的各种主要因素之一。语言是意识形成的因素,是思维不可或缺的工具,语言“在观念上充当物质”。语言把人的意识成果以物质的形式固定下来,从而在人的头脑中形成明晰的观念,使思想得以形成。语言的“能指”和“所指”之间的矛盾,以及符号“能指”的任意性、多义性,往往造成人思想上的混乱,使人想入非非,这为宗教观念的产生提供了可能。而宗教也对语言及其发展有着特殊的贡献,不仅最早的语言研究发端于宗教,而且宗教对语言的传播和发展以及规范等方面都起到了一定的作用。因此,宗教与语言的关系十分密切,也十分特殊,将这两个研究学科有机地结合起来并进行深入研究势在必行。

Language is one of the important factors which form the religious idea, and it is also the formative factor of consciousness, and the indispensable tool of thought. Language acts as substance in idea. Language fixes human consciousness production as substance, accordingly form clear idea in mind, then thought is able to be shaped. The contradiction between signifier and signified of language, as weU as the arbitrariness and polysemy of signifier, often causes puzzleheadedness, and makes people indulge in fantasy, which offers the possibility for emergence of religious idea. Religion also has great contribution to language and its development. Religion is not only the origin of early linguistic study, but also plays a special role in languages spreading, developing and standardizing, etc. So the relationship between religion and language is very close and special. It is imperative to link them and do more deep study.