The aim of the present paper is to examine certain philosophical issues which have set the tone of the philosophical reflection in eighteenth century France in relation to a specific case study: that of the "wild child" known as Victor of Aveyron. Found in 1800 in central France, Victor was later transferred to the Parisian Institute of the DeafMutes, where he became the object of educational activities of JeanMarc Itard, a medical expert known for his works on the problem of hearing loss. Through a brief critical examination of the most notorious philosophical texts dealing both with the question of wild children and deafness (namely by Rousseau, Diderot and Condillac), we attempt to show that the specificity of Itard’s educational method consists in an application of the sensualist approach towards the human individual (as it is exemplified especially in the work of Condillac) on a concrete human subject, considered as a tangible proof of the inexistence of innate ideas. On this basis, we sketch several broader questions concerning the status of anomaly in the eighteenth century philosophical thought (namely, wild children and deafness), as well as some hypotheses on education and its fantasmatic aspects in general., Josef Fulka., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy
The aim of the present text is to consider 18th century language genealogies, as proposed by Rousseau and Condillac, in relation to the question of gesture and affectivity. For it seems that a certain form of affect - need in Condillac, passion in Rousseau - comes to play a central role in the speculations concerning the possible origin of human communication whose nature is invariably considered to be gestural as well as vocal. Our aim will be to show that the insights both thinkers present on the subject corresponds, quite remarkably, with certain findings of modern linguistics and psychology. It is, of course, impossible to treat the issue in all its complexity; all that we will attempt to do is concentrate on certain significant passages and pinpoint what we consider to be the most remarkable arguments., Josef Fulka., and Obsahuje bibliografické odkazy