Teoria znaków i języka Ferdinanda Tönniesa
Ferdinand Tönnies’ theory of signs and language

Summary/Abstract: The paper presents a fragment, unknown not only to a broader scientific readership but also to specialists in the field, of Ferdinand Tönnies’ sociological system, relating to language as a means of social communication. The first part of the paper is devoted to his general theory of sign and their typology. He divides signs, firstly, into those independent of the human will, including extrahuman and involuntary ones, and those intentionally fixed by the human will, and, secondly, into individual and collective (social) ones. The second part of the paper deals directly with Tönnies language theory. The condition of using a language, as a system of social signs, is understanding (Verstehen), i.e., giving it a specific meaning by the addresser and reproducing that meaning by the addressee. Both acts may rest on mutually opposed personality and mentality types: essential will, being a blend of instincts, emotions and conscience, and arbitrary will, or a rational world view linked with calculation of self interests.

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