Humboldt’s Philosophy of Language and the Concept of Sacred Language

This study aims to evaluate Wilhelm von Humboldt’s philosophy of language within the perspective of the history of religions. Humboldt’s approach, which considers language not merely as a means of communication but as a creative activity constructing thought and worldview, provides important theoretical possibilities for understanding the phenomenon of sacred language. In particular, the study examines the structure of sacred language, the understanding of revelatory language, religious symbolism, and hermeneutical interpretation processes within the framework of Humboldt’s concepts of “energeia” and “Weltansicht.” According to Humboldt, every language produces its own unique worldview and shapes the ways individuals perceive reality. This approach demonstrates that religions are not only systems of belief but also linguistic worldviews.Within the scope of the article, concepts of sacred language in different religious traditions such as Islam, Judaism, Christianity, and Hinduism are comparatively discussed. It is argued that sacred languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, Latin, and Sanskrit possess not only communicative but also ontological, epistemological, and ritual functions. Furthermore, the problem of the translatability of sacred texts, the sacred-producing role of ritual language, and the semantic universe of religious symbols are evaluated within the framework of Humboldt’s philosophy of language. The study also analyzes the function of sacred language in the contexts of myth, symbolism, and hermeneutics by drawing upon the views of thinkers such as Mircea Eliade, Ernst Cassirer, Gadamer, and Ricoeur. As a result, it is argued that Humboldt’s philosophy of language offers an important theoretical framework for the interpretation of sacred texts, studies of religious language, and research in the history of religions. Humboldt’s evaluation of language as a living and productive process demonstrates that sacred texts are dynamic fields of meaning that are continuously reinterpreted in every age. In this context, the study reveals the constitutive role of sacred language not only in religious communication but also in the formation of cultural memory, perceptions of sacredness, and religious worldviews

Hermeneutics · Hinduism · Phenomenon · Philosophy of language · Philosophy of religion · Sanskrit · Alexander von Humboldt Studies · Historical Architecture and Urbanism · Historical Linguistics and Language Studies

• Hermeneutics and criticism and other writings

  Friedrich Schleiermacher, Andrew Bowie•Hermeneutics and criticism and…•1998

  Add to list