History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps HoP 111 - Papa Don't Teach - Augustine on Language
17 snips
Jan 13, 2013 AI Snips
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Father-Son Dialogue On Learning
- Augustine staged a dialogue with his son Adiodatos in De Magistro to explore language and learning.
- Adiodatos may have been talented; Augustine reports the dialogue accurately in the Confessions.
Words Are Signs, Not Sources
- Augustine treats words as signs that point to things or to other signs rather than as sources of knowledge.
- He and Adiodatos distinguish teaching about signs from teaching about the things signs signify.
Signs Teach Signs; Senses Teach Things
- Augustine accepts that signs can teach about other signs (e.g., grammar or labels).
- But pointing to things only prompts perception; senses supply the knowledge of the thing.