“Prima furon le cose e poi i nomi”. Riflessioni intorno alla filosofia del linguaggio di Galileo

Abstract

This article addresses an aspect of Galileo’s thought that has hitherto attracted little attention, that is to say, his philosophy of language. First of all, we try to show that Galileo’s reflections on the ambiguous and conventional nature of verbal language, though not expounded systematically, present interesting analogies with John Locke’s. In addition, we analyse the ontological and epistemological implications of Galileo’s mathematical realism.

English title: ‘First there were things, then names.’ Reflections on Galileo's philosophy of language