Origin of Language. Herder's Quest for the Answer to the Question about Human or Divine Origin of Language
Abstract
The article aims to present Herder's early philosophy of language against the background of the question regarding the human or divine origin of language, which influenced mainly the German discussion in the 1760s. It focuses on the interpretation of two writings in which Herder answers the question of the origin of speech in a seemingly different way: A Treatise on the Origin of Language and The Oldest Document of the Human Race.
While in the Treatise Herder insists on the human origin of language, in The Oldest Document he admits the need for "God's teaching" for its origin. The question therefore arises as to whether Herder has revised his original position.
However, we demonstrate that The Oldest Document is not a revision, but a supplement to the theses contained in the Treatise by metaphysical assumptions, which form an indispensable framework for Herder's philosophy of language.