John Locke and the Philosophy of Language

Abstract

This paper makes an attempt to investigate John Locke’s point of view with respect to philosophy of language in a critical manner. John Locke was one of the most prominent philosophers in the seventeenth century who had great impacts on the philosophers in political philosophy, education, psychology, language, human knowledge, and western philosophy. This article is one of the first studies concerning John Locke regarding language and philosophy in Iran. Moreover, it is criticized in this research. Locke’s opinions in terms of philosophy of language are presented in eight principles which are completely defined in the paper. For example, nature of language is based on its function and meaning. Language function is related to communicating that means relations among thoughts. Words are signifiers. Thoughts are the elements including abstract layers. One’s idea cannot be understood by the others. The relation between words and their meanings is arbitrary. Words are not inherently meaningful.