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The Search for the Perfect Language
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The Search for the Perfect Language

work by Eco
Also known as: “La ricerca della lingua perfetta nella cultura europea”(Show More)
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Umberto Eco's The Search for the Perfect Language explores the historical and philosophical quest for a universal, unambiguous language. Throughout history, thinkers have been frustrated by the "mist and veil of words" in natural languages, which can be misleading and obscure truth. This dissatisfaction fueled attempts to create an "ideal language" that would be semantically and logically transparent, like the universal characteristic envisioned by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz.123

The book examines various projects and philosophies aimed at achieving linguistic perfection, from ancient ideas to modern logic. It delves into how language shapes thought and the challenges of translation and understanding across different linguistic frameworks. Eco investigates the dream of a perfect language as a means to achieve universal understanding and eliminate error.452

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5 Britannica Sources
  1. philosophy of language - The “mist and veil of words”
  2. Umberto Eco
  3. ideal language
  4. philosophy of language - Words and ideas
  5. philosophy of language - Thought, communication, and understanding

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