PHILOLOGY, OR THE SCIENCE OF ACTIVITIES 

 DESIGNED FOR EXPRESSION 



Introduction 



The fourth group of art-s in the scheme hitherto presented in 

 this journal consists of the languages which men devise to 

 express their thoughts. Every art has its foundation in nature, 

 for art arises through tlie attempt to improve on nature. 

 Activity, as we have defined it, or self-activity as it is often 

 called in psvchologv, is the primeval expression of animals by 

 which their thoughts are interpreted by other animals. This 

 primeval activital expression assumes a new phase under 

 development, when it is known as the language of the emo- 

 tions. In fact, primitive activital expression is the germ from 

 which all other kinds of language are developed. 



All nature is expressive, but activital nature is especially 

 expressive of mind. Thus activities constitute a natural lan- 

 guage expressing the minds of activital bodies, but such expres- 

 sion is not designed to be understood by others; it is therefore 

 not conventional, and therefore not artificial. Natural expres- 

 sion must be distinguisheil from artificial expres.sion or lan- 

 guage, for natural expression is not designed to convey con- 

 cepts, while expressions which are designed to convey concepts 

 constitute language. Hence language may be defined as the 

 artificial expression of concepts in judgments by words in 

 proposition.s. 



Natural methods of activity are themselves indicative of 

 thought which others may interpret, but when activities are 

 conventionally produced for the purpose of expression and 

 are interpreted as such by others, language is produced. The 

 producer of the speech implies the interpreter of the speech, 

 and the two by custom come into a tacit agreement or under- 

 standing by which the language becomes artificial as-^ conven- 

 tional. So langfuasje may again be defined as an activital 

 movement designed to convey thought to others. 



