霍布斯的语言哲学探析

An Analysis of Hobbes’ Philosophy of Language

霍布斯不仅是西方政治思想史上最有原创性的思想家之一,同时在语言研究方面亦颇有建树。他赋予语词两项功能:标记与符号,前者有助于发明,后者有助于推证,并能为人们在社会中的共处奠定基础。他认为,语言不仅是人类思维的工具,也是生成知识的手段,契约的订立很大程度上取决于人们能否成功地实施言语行为。他强调语词对心智的作用,并赋予语词推理功能、代表功能及联合功能,霍布斯是西方语言分析范式转变的重要先驱者之一。

Hobbes is not only one of the most original thinkers in the history of Western political thought, he has also made considerable achievements in language research. He gives words two functions: marks and signs. The former helps to invent, the latter helps to prove, and can lay the foundation for people’s coexistence in society. He believes that language is not only a tool for human thinking, but also a means of generating knowledge. The formation of contracts depends largely on whether people can successfully implement speech acts. He emphasizes the role of words on the mind, and gives words inference function, representative function and joint function. Hobbes is one of the important pioneers of the paradigm shift in language analysis in Western.