Walter Benjamin's Philosophy of Language
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4079941 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Alexei Procyshyn (0000-0002-1150-2060, University of Macau, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2014 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 368-381 |
| Publication date | 2014-06-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Philosophy Compass (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1747-9991 • E-ISSN: 1747-9991 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/phc3.12134 |
| OpenAlex | W1586833524 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 3 |
| References cited | 9 |
In this article, I reconstruct Walter Benjamin's philosophy of language and refine the non-predicational view of meaning often attributed to him. By situating his 1916 essay 'On Language as Such and on the Language of Man' within the context of his struggle with Russell's paradox and its implications for phenomenology, I show how Benjamin arrives at his conception of non-conceptual content as an environmentally embedded affordance that is directly apprehended by appropriately situated and capable agents. This affordance-like character of meaning explains Benjamin's account of communication, Adamic naming, and his famous distinction between linguistic and spiritual essences (sprachliche- and geistige Wesen). I conclude by showing why translation is central to his views on expression and communication and how it reinforces his account of language-use
Affordance · Cognitive psychology · Epistemology · Linguistics · Philosophy of language · Situated · Sociology · Computer Science · Digital Media and Philosophy · History · Philosophy · Philosophy, Ethics, and Existentialism · Psychology · Walter Benjamin Studies Compilation
| Unique citing works | 3 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,3 |
| Citation span | 2016 - 2026 (11) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |