Conjecture of the "Inner Language" in Johann Gottfried Herder’s philosophy

Abstract

The author examines the concept of non-verbal speech of “inner words” which lies at the core of Herder's theory of language genesis. The topic is generally ignored by scholars dealing with the subject. The major point in the author’s interpretation is that of distinguishing two aspects of the cognitive function of the mind embodied in sensuality introduced by Herder in place of the classic concept of the intellect. This is the distinction between Besonnenheit (identifying attention) which encodes iconic signs at the ground of the soul (fundus animae), and Besinnung (reflective attention) which transforms the signs fixed by Besonnenheit into inner words. Identifying attention compensates for the inborn human deficit of instincts, while reflective attention introduces the element of self-reflection into sensuality and generates an internal dialogue of the soul with itself, based on which the first thought processes and phonetic language arise.