Theme

Language philosophy quotes

Philosophy quotations on language, gathered from verified English renderings across traditions.

Why this theme matters

This theme page collects 9 English passages that touch language as a philosophical concern—whether as a concept to define, a value to pursue, or a problem to examine.

In the history of philosophy

Related discussions appear across Greek, Chinese, Indian, Islamic, and modern European traditions. Use the quotations below as entry points, then follow thinker pages for fuller context.

Thinkers in this collection

Ludwig Wittgenstein , John Stuart Mill , Voltaire , Epictetus

Frequently asked questions

What did philosophers say about language?

They approached language from ethics, metaphysics, politics, and lived practice. The passages below show several of those angles in compact form.

Where can I find philosophy quotes about language?

This archive page is organized for that search intent: verified English quotations, with links to thinkers and related themes.

How should I read these quotations?

Read the sentence first, then check school and source. A quotation is a doorway into an argument, not a substitute for the surrounding text.

  1. Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent.
  2. What we do is to bring words back from their metaphysical to their everyday use.
  3. The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.
  4. The meaning of a word is its use in the language.
  5. He who knows only his own side of the case, knows little of that.
  6. I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.
  7. Don’t think, but look!
  8. Be mostly silent, or speak only what is necessary.
  9. The most ordinary things escape notice precisely because they are ordinary.