Moritz Lazarus and Aspects of the Psychological Concept of Language

Abstract

This article examines the development of the psychological concept of language in the work Geist und Sprache (“Spirit and Language”) by the German philosopher, psychologist and educator Dr. Moritz Lazarus (1824–1903). The analysis is based exclusively on the introductory section of this work, in which the main principles of his philosophy of language are presented in a concise form. The article explores the relationship between language and spirit, the manifestation of spirit in language, and the peculiarities of its development through linguistic expression. It also addresses the origin, functioning, and activity of language within the sphere of spirit. Importantly, Lazarus does not aim to construct a comprehensive psychology of language or a systematic study of spirit. Nevertheless, he to some extent absolutizes the role of language, claiming that nothing can be conceived or realized within the spirit without taking linguistic form. A significant influence of Wilhelm von Humboldt’s ideas on Lazarus becomes evident, particularly in discussions of the nature of language and the interplay between spirit and language. The very framing of the problem—namely, the essence of language, its relationship to the native speaker, and its cultural potential in both theoretical and practical respects—is highly relevant to Caucasian studies, where linguo-philosophical and linguo-cultural issues are actively developed.