The Tradition of Language and the Language of Tradition
in Hans-Georg Gadamer
According to Gadamer, language occupies a fundamental position
as a medium that constitutes the ground of the entire
realm of being, in contrast to the instrumental approach characteristic
of modern thought. Moreover, the fact that human
beings exist within an inescapable historicity implies that they
always live within tradition. Between language and tradition,
both regarded as the ground of the entire realm of being, there
is a reciprocal relationship: language exists only within tradition,
and tradition, in turn, is sustained within a linguistic medium.
The capacity of language to enable communication and
to endure rests upon a stable and enduring linguistic tradition.
Likewise, tradition, in its most fundamental sense, signifies authority,
that is, stability.
On the other hand, in Gadamer’s thought, the fact that language
is not merely an instrument of communication between
human beings but a living language indicates that it is subject
to change. Similarly, although tradition points to a stable authority,
it remains open to reinterpretation and transformation
by those who receive and transmit it. From this perspective, the
relationship between language and tradition unfolds within a
dialectic of stability and change.
Keywords: Philosophy of language; Language; Tradition; Hermeneutics;
Understanding; Interpretation