Expressivity and reflexion in Herder

Abstract

The paper contains a detailed discussion of the concepts of reflection and expressivity and attempts to exhibit their central role in the Herderian philosophy of language as well as their character as a leading thread throughout Herder's theories of culture and history. Herder's idea of a wide rationality, which also includes the strict rationality present in the XVIIIth century philosophy, is also discussed. The article ends with a general comparison between Kant and Herder concerning reason.