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Not only the entire ability to think rests on language... but language is also the crux of the misunderstanding of reason with itself.
Johann Georg Hamann
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Language is fundamental to thought and can lead to misunderstandings in reasoning.

In this quote, Johann Georg Hamann highlights the essential role of language in the process of thinking. He suggests that not only does our ability to think hinge upon the language we use, but also that misunderstandings arise from how we interpret reason through language. This underscores the complexity of communication and the nuances of language, which can shape our understanding of ideas and truths.

Themes

LanguageThoughtReasonUnderstandingCommunication

In practice

Example use cases

During a lecture on philosophy, to emphasize the importance of language in shaping our thoughts.

More from Johann Georg Hamann

Being, belief and reason are pure relations, which cannot be dealt with absolutely, and are not things but pure scholastic concepts, signs for understanding, not for worshipping, aids to awaken our attention, not to fetter it.
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The weakness of ourselves and of our reason makes us see flaws in beauties by making us consider everything piece by piece.
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Nature is a book, a letter, a fairy tale (in the philosophical sense) or whatever you want to call it.
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The product of paper and printed ink, that we commonly call the book, is one of the great visible mediators between spirit and time, and, reflecting zeitgeist, lasts as long as ore and stone.
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Every phenomenon of nature was a word, - the sign, symbol and pledge of a new, mysterious, inexpressible but all the more intimate union, participation and community of divine energies and ideas.
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Everything is vain and tortures the spirit instead of calming and satisfying it.
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