St. Gregory of Nyssa’s Doctrine of Human Word

Abstract

In this article the relevance of the Orthodox dogmatics for linguistics and wider for the Humanities is demonstrated. The st. Gregory of Nyssa’s resolution of the problem of word (λ6γος) is that corresponding to the contemporary anthropocentric linguistics’ requests metaphysical platform which allows to develop the adequate for language facts theoretical model and concretize the methodology and the practice of their analysis. The author ascertains the central role of st. Gregory’s analogy from human word to Divine Word for clearing up the specifics of our word. This analogy allowed him to point out the unity of human mind (νοDς) and word ‘in nature’ (κατa τi νφUσιν) and the diff erence of them ‘in subject’ (τQ Uποκειμ£νC). On this base the researcher gives the definition of word as a manifestation of mind in name. The non-hypostatic status of word that does not exist separately from mind is also characterized in the article. This fact has a decisive signifi cance for determining by linguistics of its own subject of research. The complex perceptive-expressive ability of human mind acting as a word is shown. Besides, the cognitive etiology of name is analyzed. According to st. Gregory, name is an ‘image’ (τUπος) for thought. The semantic relation between name and thought is defined as a connection of manifestation (φαν£ρωσις) that is the correspondence in image. The author notes the need for more detailed conceptualization of the linguistic consequences from st. Gregory’s theological-philosophical doctrine of word, which have high importance for the whole humanitarian thought.

Keywords

• word(λόγος)
• mind(νοῦς)
• name(ὄνομα)
• image of the name(τύπος)
• the mental image(εἶδος)
• manifestation (φανέρ&#