Sufficient emphasis has not been given to the nexus joining Vico with Herder, (16) but if we recognize in Vico the birth of the philosophy of history (17) and not simply the historical compilation typical of the Enlightenment, we must concede to Herder either the anticipation of or direct influence on the emergence of this discipline. Herder asks, Why is it, if everything in the world has its philosophy and its science, that what touches us most directly—the history of humanity—should not also have its own philosophy and science? Even if the three laws of development that Herder establishes are not identical to those enunciated by Vico, the idea that human evolution (starting from the human race and its natural environment) traverses different stages until it arrives at a society based on reason and justice recalls the voice of that Neapolitan thinker.

 In: Historiological Discussions, Silo

Chapter 2: The Past Seen as Without Temporal Foundation, 2.1 Conceptions of History

Johann Gottfried Herder (1744 - 1803)

Topics

• Language and the origin of language: Herder saw language as a central feature of humanity and examined its origins and development. He regarded language as an expression of human reason and emphasised its cultural significance.

• Philosophy of History: In his work ‘Ideas for the Philosophy of the History of Mankind’, Herder developed the idea of history as shaped by the culture and experiences of nations, with environment and cultural contexts influencing historical development.

• Folk Culture and Folk Songs: Herder emphasised folk culture and poetry as an expression of national identity and collective spirit, and collected folk songs to honour their cultural value.

• Humanity and education: Humanity, as the pursuit of moral perfection, was a central theme for Herder. In his ‘Letters on the Improvement of the Human Mind’, he advocated a holistic education to promote ethical development.

• Nation and culture: Herder appreciated the uniqueness of each nation and culture, which each have their own values and forms of expression, and spoke out in favour of cultural diversity and pluralism.

Criticism of rationalism: Herder criticised the rationalism and universalism of the Enlightenment, which ignored cultural diversity, and emphasised the importance of historical and cultural context.

Major works

• ‘Treatise on the Origin of Language’ (1772): In this work, Herder argues that language is a natural product of human reason and not a divine gift. It is an important work in the philosophy of language and anthropology.

• ‘A Philosophy of History for the Education of Humanity’ (1774): Herder presents his ideas on history and culture, emphasising the uniqueness of each nation and culture and opposing the then-dominant universalist view of history.

• ‘Folk Songs’ (1778-1779): Also known as ‘Voices of the Nations in Song’, in this work Herder collected traditional folk songs from various countries and emphasised the cultural significance and aesthetic value of folk poetry.

• ‘Ideas for the Philosophy of the History of Mankind’ (1784-1791): This multi-volume work is Herder's major work on the philosophy of history. In it, he develops a comprehensive theory of human history and emphasises the influence of the environment and culture on the development of humanity.

• ‘Letters on the Promotion of Humanity’ (1793-1797): A collection of essays and letters in which Herder presents his ideas of humanity, education and ethics. These writings were important for the development of humanistic ideals in German-speaking countries.

Influence

Johann Gottfried Herder had a decisive influence on the understanding of culture, language and history. He advocated the idea that every culture is unique and valuable, which established relativism and the appreciation of different cultures. His view of language as shaping the thinking and identity of a people influenced the philosophy of language and led to the view that language is the ‘soul’ of a culture. In addition, Herder's emphasis on historical development laid the foundation for the philosophy of history.