ARISTOTLE’S PHILOSOPHY OF LANGUAGE

Abstract

This article carries out the integral analysis of Aristotle’s concept of language. The analysis is partly set as the critique of Heidegger’s critique of Aristotle. The author refutes Heidegger’s understanding that Aristotle reduces the whole of manifestation of language to the logical function of judging (λόγος ἀποφαντικός). Made against this understanding is an investigative decision that Aristotle’s concept of language – utilising the metaphysical doctrine of the four causes as the key – can be understood in its immanent quaternity, which goes to say what are Aristotle’s definitions for linguistic causa materialis, causa formalis, causa efficiens and causa finalis. The decision rests upon a clear difference between Aristotle’s philosophy of understanding and philosophy of reason, as well as upon the high interpretative value of his nonthematic differentiation between categories of immediacy and categories of mediation.