The Importance of Language to Science

There is another species of progress, appertaining to the sciences in question, equally important; I mean, the improvement of their language, at present so vague and so obscure. To this improvement must they owe the advantage of becoming popular, even in their first elements. Genius can triumph over these inaccuracies, as over other obstacles; it can recognise the features of truth, in spite of the mask that conceals or disfigures them. But how is the man who can devote but a few leisure moments to instruction to do this? how is he to acquire and retain the most simple truths, if they be disguised by an inaccurate language? The fewer ideas he is able to collect and combine, the more requisite it is that they be just and precise. He has no fund of truths stored up in his mind, by which to guard himself against error; nor is his understanding so strengthened and refined by long exercise, that he can catch those feeble rays of light which escape under the obscure and ambiguous dress of an imperfect and vicious phraseology.

Notes:

An imperfect language communicates vaguely. In science, we require exact and precise terminology to prevent misunderstanding.

Folksonomies: science language

Taxonomies:
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/law, govt and politics (0.454142)
/education/language learning (0.450387)

Keywords:
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Outlines of an Historical View of the Progress of the Human Mind

Books, Brochures, and Chapters>Book: Condorcet, Jean-Antoine-Nicolas de Caritat (1795), Outlines of an Historical View of the Progress of the Human Mind, Retrieved on 2012-08-06

Source Material [oll.libertyfund.org]

Folksonomies: philosophy