Blog Marcos L. Mucheroni Filosofia, Noosfera e cibercultura

The true meaning of the word, and consequently of language, has always been a theme of human thought. Heidegger considers it to be a characteristic element of our humanity, from which the truth of being is unveiled (the veil is removed).

In the High Middle Ages, nominalists and realists were divided over its importance. Nominalists saw that no metaphysical substance is hidden behind words, that the supposed essentials are nothing more than words or signs that represent things that are always singular.

Realism, on the other hand, is a term that can refer to different concepts, depending on the concept, so this current in philosophy defends the existence of an objective reality, which does not depend on the human mind, this objectivity built modern thought.

Although it was a reaction to romanticism, especially in literature and art in Europe, especially in France at the end of the 19th century, in the 20th century there was a certain return to nominalism, through the so-called linguistic turn, its main characteristic being the relationship between language and thought as an object of philosophical investigation.

Thus, the word and language are part of the human essence, and the dualism of objectivity vs. subjectivity is called into question, even though much of thought is tied to this concept of early modernity, where objectivity predominates.

It is language and words that are used before weapons and growing hatreds are used, it is our relationship with the Other, with objects and with everyday life, what words we follow, linguistic variations are the result of social, geographical, professional and situational factors, so the current narrative that corresponds to an impoverishment of language is the result of human impoverishment and the deterioration of social relations.

The exponential number of mental illnesses that already affect not only adults, but also school-age children, affect the difficulty of verbal communication, so it is necessary to take care of language, which is sometimes aggressive and even litigious.

Biblical wisdom reminds us (Mt 15:17-18): “Do you not understand that whatever goes into the mouth goes into the belly, and then is thrown into an obscure place? But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and that is what defiles a man”.

Let’s pay more attention to what we say, how we address the Other, our capacity for listening and dialog, looking for those words that bring growth and wisdom and always seeking an empathetic relationship to communicate something important.

Pay attention to words, especially those that bring wisdom, common sense and empathy.