CHAPTER IV 



ON f THE APPLICATION OF LOGIC TO THE PROBLEM OF AN 

 INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE 



THE problem of an international language has a theoretical 

 as well as a practical importance. I have no intention of 

 discussing the latter here and of explaining once more the 

 necessity of an auxiliary language for international relations 

 of every sort, and the practical possibility of making oneself 

 understood by means of an artificial language, a possibility 

 which has been proved by experience. But an international 

 language is also, according to the words of the celebrated 

 philologist H. Schuchardt, a desideratum of science, in 

 which connection it raises at once problems of philology 

 and logic. That these problems are worthy of the study of 

 scientific men is proved by the discussions of Professors Diels 

 and Gomperz, the reports made to the Academy of Sciences 

 of Leipzig by Professors Brugmann and Leskien, and, 

 finally, the labours and decisions of the Committee of the 

 Delegation pour VA doption d'une Langue Internationale. The 

 latter, composed of highly competent scientists and linguists, 

 has determined the principles necessary for an auxiliary 

 language, and has practically realised them. 



My desire in what follows is to show briefly the connection 

 of the international language with logic, and its claims on 

 the attention and interest of philosophers. In the words of 

 Leibnitz, " Languages form the best mirror for the human 

 spirit, and an exact analysis of the meaning and relationship 

 of words would be the best means of disclosing the operations 

 of the mind " (N. Essais, III., VII., end). But the majority 

 of philosophers (with some distinguished exceptions, e.g., 



