Thesis title: L’eredità del naturalismo epicureo-lucreziano nei dibattiti moderni sull’origine del linguaggio
The aim of this work is to examine the influence of Epicurean-Lucretian naturalism in modern debates on the origin of language. Following the rediscovery of the Letter to Herodotus and De rerum natura at the beginning of the 15th century, Epicurean philosophy began to spread rapidly, significantly influencing philosophical and scientific reflection. Although these aspects have been extensively investigated by several studies, an in-depth analysis of this tradition’s impact on the development of the linguistic debate is still lacking.
The work has been divided into four chapters. The first two chapters aim to offer a framework of the theoretical references and material texts available to modern authors engaged in reflecting on the origin of language. Specifically, the first chapter investigates the numerous forms of ancient linguistic naturalism: after a general overview, the focus moves to the Epicurean-Lucretian doctrine, investigated through paragraphs 37-38 and 75-76 of the Letter to Herodotus and De rerum natura V, 1028-1090, and to the “essentialist” naturalism of Plato’s Cratylus, with particular reference to the figure of the nomothete and its revival in Stoic philosophy. Continuing along this path, the second chapter addresses the Biblical-Christian paradigm, an inescapable reference model for the modern debate, in which we sought to highlight elements of continuity with the Platonic tradition. The concluding section of the second chapter examines the main vehicles for the dissemination of linguistic naturalism in the modern age, paying attention to both direct and indirect sources.
With the third and fourth chapters, we enter into the specifics of modern linguistic debates. In the third chapter, we will analyse the linguistic reflections of two key figures for the modern reception of Epicureanism: Pierre Gassendi and Richard Simon. Regarding Gassendi, the theme of the origin of language and the question of the animal voice, a distinctive feature of Lucretian naturalism, are explored through François Bernier’s Abrégé. Regarding Simon, in addition to analysing the chapters of the Histoire Critique dedicated to the topic, we examine the relationship with his source, Gregory of Nyssa’s Against Eunomius, to evaluate its peculiar interpretation.
The last chapter is dedicated to eighteenth-century reflection, from which the authors whose legacy of naturalism is most evident have been selected. The analysis aims to reconstruct the transformations and modes of reception of this paradigm, highlighting its adaptations to a cultural and philosophical context still profoundly marked by Christian doctrine. The first paragraph analyses William Warburton’s theory of the correlated development between writing, language, and civilization, and its reception in the French context, particularly in Condillac and Rousseau. The second paragraph focuses on Charles de Brosses and his theory of the mechanical formation of languages, influenced by Leibniz’naturalism. The investigation concludes with an analysis of Herder’s Abhandlung. In particular, the focus is on the German philosopher’s critiques of Epicurean-Lucretian naturalism, identified within Condillac’s glottogonic theory in the Essai sur l’origine des connaissances humaines.