Reflection on some of the issues of rationalist philosophy of mind and philosophy of language. Remarks on the margins of A philosophical discourse concerning speech by Gerauld de Cordemoy

Halina Święczkowska

Uniwersytet w Białymstoku

Abstract

The deliberations contained herein concern the issues touched upon in a short work titled A philosophical discourse concerning speech written by Geraud de Cordemoy (1626-1684), a French philosopher and thinker who – in his own words – was a firm believer in the philosophy of Descartes and claimed to be a Cartesian. Apart from Logic and Grammar from Port-Royal, Cartesian literature of the 17th does not present a single other separate work devoted to the philosophy of language and the properties of speech. Aside from several interesting topics discussed by the author, one particular issue deserves special attention – namely, the occasionalistic interpretation of the mechanism of human communication. Still, this concept does not tower over other issues which, when reflected upon within the framework of Cartesian doctrine, gain new meaning in the context of contemporary discussion on the phenomenon of speech, its ontogenesis, and social functions. These include Coremoy’s thoughts on the social aspects of language and the mechanism of speech acquisition in children.

Keywords:

G. de Cordemoy, rationalistic philosophy of language, acquisition of language, cartesianism, occasionalism