Cratylism as a

philosophical theory A philosophical theory or philosophical positionBothamley, Jennifer (1993), ''Dictionary of Theories'', Canton, MI: Visible Ink Press is a view that attempts to explain or account for a particular problem in philosophy. The use of the term "theory ...

that holds that there is a natural relationship between words and what words designate. It reflects the teachings of the Athenian

Cratylus Cratylus ( ; , ''Kratylos'') was an ancient Athenian philosopher from the mid-late 5th century BC, known mostly through his portrayal in Plato's dialogue '' Cratylus''. He was a radical proponent of Heraclitean philosophy and influenced the you ...

(, also transliterated as Kratylos), fl. mid to late 5th century BCE, who is

Socrates Socrates (; ; – 399 BC) was a Ancient Greek philosophy, Greek philosopher from Classical Athens, Athens who is credited as the founder of Western philosophy and as among the first moral philosophers of the Ethics, ethical tradition ...

' interlocutor in

Plato Plato ( ; Greek language, Greek: , ; born BC, died 348/347 BC) was an ancient Greek philosopher of the Classical Greece, Classical period who is considered a foundational thinker in Western philosophy and an innovator of the writte ...

's eponymous dialogue ''

''.

Gérard Genette Gérard Genette (; 7 June 1930 – 11 May 2018) was a French literary theorist, associated in particular with the structuralist movement and with figures such as Roland Barthes and Claude Lévi-Strauss, from whom he adapted the concept of ''b ...

divided the theory into primary and secondary Cratylism. The former is said to involve a general attempt to establish a motivated link between the signifier and the signified by inventing emotional values for certain sounds while the latter admits that language has fallen and that the signifier enjoys an arbitrary relation to the signified. Cratylism is distinguished from linguisticity by the problematic status of

style Style, or styles may refer to: Film and television * ''Style'' (2001 film), a Hindi film starring Sharman Joshi, Riya Sen, Sahil Khan and Shilpi Mudgal * ''Style'' (2002 film), a Tamil drama film * ''Style'' (2004 film), a Burmese film * '' ...

: in a natural

language Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed language, signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing syste ...

, where a perfect connection is found between word and things, variations of style are no longer conceivable.

References

{{philosophy of language Theories of language Logic Ancient Greek philosophy of language Theories in ancient Greek philosophy philo-stub

See also

References