The conception of language as expression of thought in Aristotle and language as a constitutive form of the subject in Benveniste

Abstract

Language, as a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, has been widely studied and debated throughout the history of philosophy and linguistics. Two of the main thinkers who stood out when reflecting on the nature of language were Aristotle, in the 5th century B.C., and Émile Benveniste, in the mid-20th century. For Aristotle, language behaves as a tool of thought to represent reality, while for Benveniste, language is a constitutive form of the human being, which enables him to project ideas and position himself in intersubjective relations. Both thinkers contributed to the development of language theory and left an important legacy for understanding the relationship between language and thought. In this research, we compare these two conceptions of language and discuss how they dialogue with the language issues of the contemporary world.