Language as a tool

pp. 79-103

in: Hans Hörmann, Meaning and context, Berlin, Springer, 1986

Abstract

Until now we have viewed the sign as something that represents something else. The relationship between the sign and what it stands for must now be made more specific. First we will follow Karl Bühler, who proposed in 1934 in his epoch-making book Language Theory an organon model of language or, more specifically, of the sign. It is called an organon according to the Platonic principle: language is a tool, an instrumental auxiliary, by means of which one person can communicate something about something to someone.