Language and Its Philosophy in Zaki Najib Mahmoud’s Works

Abstract

This research aims to elucidate the attention given by the philosopher and logician Zaki Najib Mahmoud in his various philosophical works and research to the philosophy of language and meaning. Undoubtedly, language and meaning constitute the cornerstone of analytic philosophy, a fact that became evident with the onset of the linguistic turn in the twentieth century. The initial introduction of the philosophy of language and meaning into Arab culture was spearheaded by philosophers, notably prominent figures of logical positivism, particularly Zaki Najib Mahmoud. While his diverse philosophical writings demonstrate significant engagement with the problem of the philosophy of language, none of his works are specifically dedicated to this purpose. Rather, his ideas on this topic are disseminated throughout his philosophical corpus in the form of paragraphs or allusions. Furthermore, the verification theory of meaning, a central tenet of logical positivism, along with formal theories of meaning espoused by logical positivists, received considerable importance and attention in his writings."