Abstract

In this study, the relationship offered by Humboldt between culture and language will be examined. According to him, in addition to being constructed by language culture, constructs language as well. The identity of language and spirit is the bases at of this interaction. The transition from the view which regards language as the representation of thought to the view which regards language and thought as identical has significance for the present post-structuralist language views. According to poststructuralist views, language establishes the truth, rather than represent it. In the first group of views on language, as conceived in terms of Boethius triangle, i.e. the earth-thought-language differentiation; these views regarded language as the secondary representation of truth while in Humboldt, language and thought, regarded as identical, has become the primary representation of truth. Later on, along with post-structuralists, this representation idea is pushed into the background and the language’s property of constructing truth is foregrounded. This study aims to show that the views of Humboldt, as a predecessor of Saussure, althought not as influential as him, are important in the transition to the poststructuralist thought.

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