Philosophical and Universal Languages,
1600-1800, and Related Themes:
Selected Bibliography

compiled by Ralph Dumain

Aarsleff, Hans. The Study of Language in England, 1780-1860. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press; London: Athlone Press, 1983. (Orig. 1967.)

Alston, R. C. Logic, Philosophy, Epistemology, Universal Language. Bradford: Printed for the author by E. Cummins, 1967. (A bibliography of the English language from the invention of printing to the year 1800; v. 7)

Bonner, Anthony. The Art and Logic of Ramon Llull: A User’s Guide. Leiden; Boston : Brill, 2007. (Studien und Texte zur Geistesgeschichte des Mittelalters; Bd. 95)

Cohen, Murray. Sensible Words: Linguistic Practice in England, 1640-1785. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1977.

Cornelius, Paul Edwin. Languages in Seventeenth and Early Eighteenth-century Imaginary Voyages. Genève: Librairie Droz, 1965.

Craik, R. J. Sir Thomas Urquhart of Cromarty (1611-1660): Adventurer, Polymath, and Translator of Rabelais. Lewiston: Mellen Research University Press, 1993.

Cram, David; Maat, Jaap, eds. George Dalgarno on Universal Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2001.

Crowther, J. G. Founders of British Science: John Wilkins, Robert Boyle, John Ray, Christopher Wren, Robert Hooke, Isaac Newton. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1982. Reprint. Originally published: London: Cresset Press, 1960.

Dascal, Marcelo; Elhanan, Yakira; eds. Leibniz and Adam. Tel Aviv: University Publishing Projects, 1993.

Dascal, Marcelo. Leibniz, Language, Signs, and Thought: A Collection of Essays. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: J. Benjamins Pub. Co., 1987. (Foundations of Semiotics; v. 10)

Dolezal, Fredric. Forgotten but Important Lexicographers, John Wilkins and William Lloyd: A Modern Approach to Lexicography before Johnson. Tübingen: M. Niemeyer, 1985.

Eco, Umberto. The Search for the Perfect Language; translated by James Fentress. (Ricerca della lingua perfetta nella cultura europea) Oxford, UK; Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 1995. Substantial sections readable via google books.

Frängsmyr, Tore; Heilbron, J.L.; Rider, Robin E.; eds. The Quantifying Spirit in the 18th Century. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990. Entire book online. See esp. Part 1, Chapter 4, Measure of Ideas, Rule of Language: Mathematics and Language in the 18th Century; esp. sections on Artificial Languages & Signs and Thought.

Fraser, Russell A. The Language of Adam: On the Limits and Systems of Discourse. New York: Columbia University Press, 1977.

Gardner, Martin. Logic Machines and Diagrams. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1958. (2nd. ed., University of Chicago Press, 1982.) See esp. chapter on Raymond Lull.

Ishiguro, Hidé. Leibniz’s Philosophy of Logic and Language. Cambridge [UK]; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990. Contents.

Johnston, Mark D. The Spiritual Logic of Ramon Llull. Oxford [Oxfordshire]: Clarendon Press; New York: Oxford University Press, 1987.

Knowlson, James. Universal Language Schemes in England and France, 1600-1800. Toronto; Buffalo: University of Toronto Press, 1975. (Toronto. University. University of Toronto Romance Series; 29)

Land, Stephen K. The Philosophy of Language in Britain: Major Theories From Hobbes to Thomas Reid. New York: AMS Press, 1986. (AMS Studies in the Seventeenth Century; no. 2)

Libert, Alan. A Priori Artificial Languages. Muenchen: Lincom Europa, 2000.

Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm. Philosophical Papers and Letters, selection translated and edited with an introduction by Leroy E. Loemker, 2^nd ed. Dordrecht, Holland; Boston: D. Reidel Pub. Co., 1976 [1969, 1^st ed. 1956]). (Synthese Historical Library; v. 2) See “On the General Characteristic” with listing of other relevant selections in this volume, and Leibniz on the Universal Characteristic, quotations from same.

Lewis, Rhodri. Language, Mind, and Nature: Artificial Languages in England from Bacon to Locke. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. (Ideas in Context; 80) Publisher description. Table of contents.

Llull, Ramón. Doctor Illuminatus: A Ramón Llull Reader, edited and translated by Anthony Bonner, with a new translation of The Book of the Lover and the Beloved by Eve Bonner (see excerpt). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1993. (Mythos) Publisher description.

Maat, Jaap. Philosophical Languages in the Seventeenth Century: Dalgarno, Wilkins, Leibniz. Dordrecht; Boston, MA: Kluwer Academic, 2004. (The New Synthese Historical Library; v. 54)

Markley, Robert. Fallen Languages: Crises of Representation in Newtonian England, 1660-1740. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 1993.

Okrent, Arika. In the Land of Invented Languages: Esperanto Rock Stars, Klingon Poets, Loglan Lovers, and the Mad Dreamers Who Tried to Build a Perfect Language. New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2009. See also web site: http://inthelandofinventedlanguages.com.

Tom Ashbrook's On Point radio interview with author: "Dreaming of a Perfect Language," 1 June 2009.

Pombo, Olga. Leibniz and the Problem of a Universal Language. Münster: Nodus Publikationen, 1987. Contents.

Rossi, Paolo. Logic and the Art of Memory: The Quest for a Universal Language; translated with an introduction by Stephen Clucas. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000. Contents. Publisher description.

Salmon, Vivian. Language and Society in Early Modern England: Selected Essays, 1981-1994; selected and edited by Konrad Koerner. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: J. Benjamins Pub. Co., 1996. (Amsterdam Studies in the Theory and History of Linguistic Science. Series III, Studies in the History of the Language Sciences; v. 77)

Salmon, Vivian. The Study of Language in 17th-century England. 2nd ed. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: J. Benjamins Pub. Co., 1988.

Salmon, Vivian. The Works of Francis Lodwick: A Study of his Writings in the Intellectual Context of the Seventeenth Century. London: Longman, 1972.

Shapiro, Barbara J. John Wilkins, 1614-1672: An Intellectual Biography. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1969.

Shumaker, Wayne. Renassance Curiosa: John Dee’s Conversations with Angels, Girolamo Cardano’s Horoscope of Christ, Johannes Trithemius and Cryptography, George Dalgarno’s Universal Language. Binghamton, NY: Center for Medieval & Early Renaissance Studies, 1982. (Medieval & Renaissance Texts & Studies (Series); v. 8.)

Slaughter, M. M. Universal Languages and Scientific Taxonomy in the Seventeenth Century. Cambridge [Cambridgeshire]; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1982.

Stillman, Robert E. The New Philosophy and Universal Languages in Seventeenth-century England: Bacon, Hobbes, and Wilkins. Lewisburg: Bucknell University Press; London; Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Presses, 1995.

Subbiondo, Joseph L., ed. John Wilkins and 17th-century British Linguistics. Amsterdam; Philadelphia: J. Benjamins, 1992. (Amsterdam Studies in the Theory and History of Linguistic Science. Series III, Studies in the History of the Language Sciences, 0304-0720; v. 67)

Vega, Amador. Ramon Llull and the Secret of Life, translated by James W. Heisig. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2003.

Yaguello, Marina. Lunatic Lovers of Language: Imaginary Languages and Their Inventors; translated by Catherine Slater. (Fous du langage) London: Athlone Press; Rutherford: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1991.

Yates, Frances A. The Art of Memory. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2001. (Latest ed. First published: London: Routledge & K. Paul, 1966.) See esp. chapters VIII: Lullism as an Art of Memory; XVII. The Art of Memory and the Growth of Scientific Method.

Yates, Frances A. Lull and Bruno. London; New York: Routledge, 1999. [reprint of 1982 ed.]

Selected Journal Articles

Clauss, Sidonie. "John Wilkins' Essay Toward a Real Character: Its Place in the Seventeenth-Century Episteme," Journal of the History of Ideas, vol. 43, no. 4, Oct.-Dec. 1982, pp. 531-553.

Cohen, Jonathan. "On the Project of a Universal Character," Mind, new series, vol. 63. no. 249, Jan. 1954, pp. 49-63.

Fenves, Peter. "Of Philosophical Style—from Leibniz to Benjamin," Boundary 2: An International Journal of Literature and Culture, vol. 30, no. 1, 2003, pp. 67-87.

Walters, Frank D. "Taxonomy and the Undoing of Language: Dialogic Form in the Universal Languages of the Seventeenth Century," Style, vol. 27, no. 1, 1993, pp. 1-16.

Yeo, Richard. "Between Memory and Paperbooks: Baconianism and Natural History in Seventeenth-Century England," Hist. Sci., xlv (2007)

Selected General Works on Interliguistics
and History of Constructed and Universal Languages
(in English except where noted)

Blanke, Detlev. Internationale Plansprachen. Berlin: Akademie-Verlag,1985.

Couturat, Louis; Leau, Léopold. Histoire de la Langue Universelle. 2nd ed. Paris: Hachette, 1907. (1st edition, 1903.) Reprint: Hildesheim; New York: G. Olms, 1979. (Full text offsite here. Selected chapters of 1903 ed. also online here.)

Couturat, Louis; Leau, Léopold. Les Nouvelles Langues Internationales. Paris: Hachette, 1907.

Drezen, Ernest. Historio de la Mondolingvo. Moskva: Progreso, 1991. (orig. ed. 1931. 3rd ed: Oosaka, Pirato, 1967.) (In Esperanto.)

Dulichenko, A. D. [Alexander]. Mezhdunarodnye Vspomogatel'nye I'a'zyki. Tallinn: "Valgus," 1990.

Duliĉenko, Aleksandr. En la Serĉado de la Mondolingvo, au Interlingvistiko por Ĉiuj. Tradukis el la rusa Aleksander Korĵenkov. Kaliningrado: Sezonoj, 2006. (Serio Scio; 7) (In Esperanto.) 7: Bildaj lingvoj?

Guérard, Albert Léon. A Short History of the International Language Movement. London: T. F. Unwin, Ltd., 1922. (Reprint ed.: Westport, CT: Hyperion Press, 1979.) Also offsite.

Large, J. A. The Artificial Language Movement. Oxford; New York: B. Blackwell; London: A. Deutsch, 1985. (The Language Library)

Libert, Alan. Artificial Descendants of Latin. München: Lincom Europa, 2004.

Libert, Alan. Mixed Artificial Languages. München: Lincom Europa, 2003.

Monnerot-Dumaine, Marcel. Precis d'Interlinguistique Général et Spéciale. Paris: Maloine, 1960.

Pei, Mario. One Language for the World. New York: Devin-Adair, 1958. (Reprint: New York: Biblo and Tannen, 1968.)

Parts 1 and 3 can be found here. The bulk of the history of the international language movement, not included here, will be found in part 2 supplemented by the bibliography & appendixes. Complete text available to Questia subscribers.

Schubert, Klaus, Maxwell, Dan; eds. Interlinguistics: Aspects of the Science of Planned Languages. Berlin; New York: Mouton de Gruyter, 1989. (Trends in Linguistics. Studies and Monographs; 42)

Schubert, Klaus, ed. Planned Languages: From Concept to Reality. Part I: Interface. Brussels: Hogeschool voor Wetenschap en Kunst, 2001.

Tonkin, Humphrey, ed. Esperanto, Interlinguistics, and Planned Language. Lanham, MD: University Press of America; Rotterdam, Netherlands; West Hartford, CT: Center for Research and Documentation on World Language Problems, 1997. (Papers of the Center for Research and Documentation on World Language Problems; 5)

Bibliography

Stojan, Petro E. Bibliografio de Internacia Lingvo. Genève: Universala Esperanto-Asocio, 1929. Reprint: Hildesheim; New York: Olms, 1973. (In Esperanto.)

Symoens, Edward F (1989). Dissertations on Esperanto and Interlinguistics. Rotterdam: Universala Esperanto-Asocio, 1989. See also 1993 Supplement.

Tonkin, Humphrey, comp. Esperanto and International Language Problems: A Research Bibliography. 4th ed. Washington, DC: Esperantic Studies Foundation, 1977.

Links

on this site:

Descartes to Mersenne, 20 November 1629

“On the General Characteristic” by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

Leibniz on the Universal Characteristic

"Leibniz, Couturat kaj la Teorio de Ido" de Tazio Carlevaro

Leibniz & Ideology: Selected Bibliography

Leibniz blog entry

Gulliver's Travels. Part III. A Voyage to Laputa, Balnibarbi, Luggnagg, Glubbdubdrib, and Japan. Chapter V (extract) by Jonathan Swift

Carnap on Wittgenstein & Esperanto / Carnap pri Wittgenstein & Esperanto

"Lingvoplanado" (Language Planning) de Rudolf Carnap

"The Congress" by Jorge Luis Borges

A Taxonomy of Surreal Taxonomists by Prentiss Riddle

Hermann Hesse, Esperanto, Klera Utopio, Universala Lingvo / Intellectual Utopia, Universal Language

"Kvar Planlingvoj Kreitaj de Virinoj" de Bernard Golden

Histoire de la Langue Universelle par Louis Couturat & Léopold Leau (1903)

A Short History of the International Language Movement by Albert Léon Guérard

Esperanto & Interlinguistics Study Guide / Esperanto-Gvidilo (includes interlinguistics links)

Philosophical Style: Selected Bibliography

offsite:

Contributors to the Universal Language

Mathesis universalis: the Search for a Universal Science (from Descartes and Leibniz to Bolzano and Husserl) by Raul Corazzon

Language as Calculus vs. Language as Universal Medium

Characteristica universalis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Universal language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Constructed language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A priori (languages) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Philosophical language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

International auxiliary language - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Recognition - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Logovisual technology - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Abracadabra: Language, Memory, Representation

Ramon Llull - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Who is Ramon Llull?

Raymond Lull's memory training and self learning tools

Ramon Llull (1232-1316): Logic. Memory. Wacko.

Notes on Reason, Language and Conversion in the 13th Century in the Iberian Peninsula by Maribel Fierro

On the Project of a Universal Language in the Framework of the XVII Century Philosophy by Renata Jermolowicz

Characteristica Universalis and the Origin of the Symbolator by Andreas Goppold

Characteristica Universalis by Barry Smith

Calculus Ratiocinator vs. Characteristica Universalis? The Two Traditions in Logic, Revisited by Volker Peckhaus

A Universal Language: The Myth, Search and Experiments by Anne Niemetz

Linnaeus and the poetics of evolution by John Bennett (Macleay Museum, 21 March 2007)

IMAGINATION, INFINITY, AND ETERNAL TRUTHS
chapter 7A of Descartes' Imagination by Dennis L. Sepper

Al la historio de la provoj de lingvoj tutmondaj de Leibnitz ĝis la nuna tempo de Leopold Einstein

Louis Couturat : The Logic of Leibniz

Chapter 3 The Universal Language

Histoire de la Langue Universelle par Louis Couturat & Léopold Leau (1903) (Selected chapters of 1903 ed. also online here)

The Algebra of Logic by Louis Couturat (1905, trans. 1914)

International Language and Science by L. Couturat, O. Jespersen, R. Lorenz, W. Ostwald & L. Pfaundler (1910)

Hobbes' Calculus of Words by Pieter A. Verburg (1969)

Hobbes's Challenge by Marcelo Dascal

Adam Smith's theory of language by Marcelo Dascal

'The Analytical Language of John Wilkins' (originally 'El idioma analítico de John Wilkins' ) by Jorge Luis Borges
    Translated by Lilia Graciela Vázquez
   Translated by Will Fitzgerald
    Spanish original & English translation

John Wilkins - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An Essay Toward a Real Character and a Philosophical Language - Full text online & other links

An Essay Towards a Real Character and A Philosophical Language by John Wilkins (reprint ed.)

Francis Lodwick - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Francis Lodwick: A Working Bibliography

Same bibliography on EMWO & on CEMS

Free-Thinking and Language-Planning in Late Seventeenth Century England

Same page on EMWO & on CEMS

The library of Francis Lodwick FRS

Thomas Urquhart - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Caractere by Jean le Rond d'Alembert in the Encyclopédie (in French)

more Leibniz links:

Markku Roinila's Leibniz webpage (University of Helsinki)

Leibnitiana maintained by Gregory Brown (Universtity of Houston)

G.W. Leibniz: Texts and Translations

Leibniz Translations

Note: Bibliography is largely limited to books in English covering secondary literature rather than primary sources. Though often treated together historically, artificial philosophical languages (a.k.a. ''universal character") are different in nature and purpose from constructed languages like Esperanto based on ethnic languages and intended as universal auxiliary languages.

Library of Congress Subject Headings for this topic are "Language, Universal" and "Languages, Artificial".