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Article published In: Historiographia Linguistica
Vol. 23:3 (1996) ► pp.301–320

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The Linguistic Naturalism of Theophrastus Redivivus (1659?)

 | University of Salerno
Published online: 1 January 1996
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https://doi.org/10.1075/hl.23.3.04gen
Summary
This paper deals with the linguistic subjects in Theophrastus redivivus (1659?), an anonymous masterpiece of French Free-thinkers movement. Attention is paid, firstly, to the criticism of the concept of god, whose existence is denied mainly on linguistic grounds; secondly, to the anti-Cartesian discussion of the alleged ‘primacy’ of humans, which also is denied with the argument that all animals share both reason and extrinsic discourse, although in forms different from ours. Particular attention is given to the argumentative structure of TR, which reveals an original fusion of Epicurean epistemology and of suggestions borrowed from the ancient Naturalism, notably as found in Aristotle’s Historia animalium
Résumé
Cet essai examine les argumentations linguistiques du Theophrastus redivivus (1659?), chef-d’oeuvre anonyme de la pensée libertine française. On analyse tout d’abord le refus de l’existence de dieu qui est fondé sur un argument linguistique; ensuite, on passe à reconstruire la critique du cartésianisme, face auquel le TR pose que les animaux possèdent soit une raison soit un langage, bien que différent des humains. Une considération particulière est portée sur le discours théorique du TR, qui relie les thèses de l’épistemologie d’Epicure à la demarche naturaliste ancienne, notamment dans la version de l’Historia animalium d’Aristote.
Zusammenfassung
In diesem Aufsdatz wird das sprachliche Gedankengut des Theophrastus redivivus (1659?), eines anonymen Meisterwerks des französischen Freiden-kertums, in zwei Schritten untersucht. Zunächst geht es darum aufzuzeigen, wie der Autor die Existenz Gottes an Hand linguistischer Argumente leugnet. Danach wird die Kritik untersucht, die TR an der Philosophie Descartes öbt, wenn er Tieren eine besondere Art des Verstandes und der Sprache zuspricht. Besondere Aufmerksamkeit wird der argumentativen Struktur des TR gewidmet, durch welche eine originelle Verbindung der Erkenntnistheorie Epikurs mit dem Gedankengut des antiken Naturalismus (besonders der Historia animalium von Aristoteles) hergestellt wird
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