Ispravnost imena u Platonovom Kratilu

Abstract

This paper presents the analysis of Plato’s Cratylus – a dialogue on the origin of language and the nature of meaning. The goal of the research is to present naturalism and conventionalism as the two leading approaches to the explanation for the link between the word form and its meaning. The analysis shows that the question of the connection between the word structure and its meaning encouraged many debates, long before De Saussure and the establishment of modern linguistics. Therefore, the second goal of the presented research is to put forth the importance of those pioneer debates on language nature and origin which led to the development of the linguistic thought that we know today, and which gave rise to certain linguistic questions that remain relevant to contemporary linguistic research.