Ordo et connexio verborum
Spinoza on the Genesis and Nature of Human Language
Abstract
Spinoza’s remarks on language are often treated as fragmentary and inconsistent with his philosophy. This paper argues that they become intelligible when situated within his account of the imaginative origin of language. Drawing on Part II of the Ethics, it shows how linguistic signs arise from stabilized associations among ideas and develops a unified account of universals, linguistic custom (usus, consuetudo), and the limits of cognitio ex signis, explaining both the emergence of meaning and its epistemic instability.
Presentato: 06 Maggio 2026 | Accettato: 06 Luglio 2026 | Pubblicato 17 Settembre 2026 | Lingua: en
Keywords Signs • Knowledge • Words • Spinoza • Language
Copyright © 2026 Giacomo Tore. This is an open-access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction is permitted, provided that the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. The license allows for commercial use. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
Permalink http://doi.org/10.30687/Jolma/2723-9640/2026/01/006