Wilhelm von Humboldt Quote

Regardless of communication between man and man, speech is a necessary condition for the thinking of the individual in solitary seclusion. In appearance, however, language develops only socially, and man understands himself only once he has tested the intelligibility of his words by trial upon others.


On Language (1836), trans. Peter Heath (1988)


Regardless of communication between man and man, speech is a necessary condition for the thinking of the individual in solitary seclusion. In...

Regardless of communication between man and man, speech is a necessary condition for the thinking of the individual in solitary seclusion. In...

Regardless of communication between man and man, speech is a necessary condition for the thinking of the individual in solitary seclusion. In...

Regardless of communication between man and man, speech is a necessary condition for the thinking of the individual in solitary seclusion. In...