Essence and future of the idea of an international language
Translated by Alfred E. Wackrill
I. Introduction
II. Is an International language necessary?
III. Is an International language possible?
IV. Will an International language ever be introduced?
V. What will the International language be like?
VI. What sort of artificial language will be introduced into general use?
VII. Is it possible for a better artificial language to be created?
VIII Conclusions
"The Principles and Prospects of the Idea of an International Language."
All ideas, destined to play an important part in the history of the human race, have ever the same unvarying experience: when they appear, the people of the day meet them not only with a remarkably obstinate mistrust, but even with a certain unaccountable hostility; the pioneers of these ideas have much to contend with and much to endure; they are looked upon as madmen, as childishly silly, or even absolutely as very dangerous persons. At a time when those who are engaged in every kind of utterly aimless and useless absurdity, if only it is in vogue and in accordance with the routine ideas of the public, are enjoying not only all the good things of life, but also the honourable title of "scholars" or "public benefactors," the pioneers of new ideas meet with nothing but derision and opposition; the casual unlettered simpleton looks down upon them and tells them that they are engaged in foolish pursuits; the casual newspaper penny-a-liner writes about them "witty" articles and remarks, without having taken the trouble to find out anything as to what it is that they are actually working at; and the public, which always follows the shouter with sheep-like tractability, laughs and guffaws, and does not for a single minute ask itself the question whether there exists a single grain of common-sense in all these "witty" gibes. About these ideas "it is the thing" to talk only with an ironical and contemptuous smile; therefore A, B and C do the same, and each of them is afraid even for one minute seriously to entertain the ridiculed idea, for he "knows from the outset that there is nothing in it but nonsense," and fears that he himself may be reckoned among the number of "those fools," if he for one minute attempts to take a serious attitude towards this folly. People wonder "how, in these practical times, such foolish cranks can appear, and why they do not get put into the lunatic asylums."
But some time passes. After a long succession of battles and afflictions the " simpleton cranks " have attained their object. Mankind has heen enriched by a new and important acquisition, and derives from it benefits of the greatest scope and diversity. Then the tables are turned. The new thing, in its acquired strength, appears to men so simple, so "self-evident," that they are at a loss to know how people lived for ages and ages without it. When the later generations read the stories of how the original contemporaries of the idea behaved towards it, they absolutely decline to believe, and think that the historians have invented the whole thing to ridicule bygone times. " Can it be," they say, " that. the whole world then consisted of idiots? Did people really exist, who opposed the pioneers with such absurd objections; did the rest of mankind remain silent; did not the first-encountered five-year-old child keep saying to these critics : Why, sirs, you are talking the most frightful, groundless, nonsense, the refutation of which is before your very nose? It is absolutely incomprehensible! The historians are certainly exaggerating ! "
Read the history of the birth of Christianity, and of various great ideas in the domain of morals, philosophy and science ; read the history of the discovery of America, of the introduction of railways, etc., etc. Everywhere exactly the same. " Es ist eine alte Geschichte, doch bleibt sie immer neu" (It is an old story, yet it remains always new). The light appears as an indispensable necessity to him who starts far away, but it hurts the eyes of those who stand near, and they try to extinguish it. The idea of Columbus, that "there must exist a western route to India." seems to us now so simple, so natural, that we simply will not believe that men could ever have existed, who, knowing full well that the Earth is a globe, could doubt that every country is approachable not only from the east, bul also from the west; and that in this unexplored west might lie unknown countries of interest to us. When we read those arguments which they brought against Columbus, such as, that no one had voyaged westward from Europe, ergo it was impossible to do so, that God had forbidden it to be done, that the ships would slip down the slope and be unable to come back up it again. arid so forth,- we reluctantly ask ourselves how grown men could have talked such nonsense, for which, in our days, any child would blush. And yet, at that, those stupid objections were the very things that were held as truths, admitting of no doubt ; as the most logical opinion of the whole reasoning world ; and the ideas of Columbus were rregarded as an infantility unworthy of attention. When people were shown the force of steam and how it could be applied, it did not seem that any reasoning man could contradict it ; and yet how many years of fighting of distress, and ridicule its inventor had to endure ! And even when it came to pass that the aims was successfully realised, when for three whole years locomotives had been running in England, and bringing immense advantage, there were on the continent of Europe learned men, nay, whole learned societies, who, instead of simply looking and being convinced, were still writing abstruse treatises to show that the construction of locomotives was a childish enterprise, that it was impossible, that it was harmful, and so forth. What is this? we ask ourselves. Is it some sort of universal epidemic idiocy ? Did such generations really exist ? Yes, such generations existed, and we, who now are astonished, are in point of fact no better than they, and our descendants will be no better than we. All these people with their exasperatingly silly arguments and attacks were, however, not idiots, although they now perhaps seem so to us. Their whole fault consisted only in this, that, owing to the natural mental inertia common to us all, they either were unwilling to form any opinion at all on the phenomena just coming into existence, preferring to limit themselves to good healthy laughter, or proceeded to their verdict with a conviction already formed, that the thing proposed to them was not feasible ; and they strove to make all their arguments fit in with that previously made decision, oblivious to the complete groundlessness of these arguments ; and against the arguments of the defendants of the new idea they closed their brains with the stoutest of locks; and thus these latter arguments, which strove to prove the possibility of that which "everyone knew to be impossible," necessarily appeared to these inert people just as infantile as now appear to us the counter arguments which they then adduced."
To that class of ideas, such as appear to their contemporaries as empty fantasy, and to later generations seem so natural that they do not understand how for ages the world got along without them,--to that class belongs also the idea of the introduction of a common language for communications between different peoples. When our descendants shall read in history that these people, these kings of the Earth, these highest representatives of human intelligence, these demi-gods, during whole thousands of years lived in close proximity to one another without understanding each other, they simply of the next century to his teacher, "that men existed who denied the possibility of an artificial language, when such a language was there, before their very noses. had already a rich literature and excellently fulfilled already in practice all possible functions that can be demanded of an international language ; and these gentlemen, instead of for ever talking their theoretical nonsense, had only to open their eyes and look.' Is it possible that grown men should have kept on talking their verbose absurdities about some difference in the vocal organs of the nations, when every child saw, at every step, people of one nation conversing perfectly well in the language of another ? " And the teacher will reply : " It is indeed incredible, but so it was !"
However, at the present time, in the matter of an international language, routine and mental inertia are beginning gradually to give way to wholesome reason. Articles have for some considerable time been appearing here and there in various newspapers and reviews, fully approving of the idea itself and of its promoters. But these articles are still halfhearted, as if their authors are afraid, (praying) that no one may expose them to public dishonour. These timorous voices are dissipated in the blatant chorus of those who shout their ridicule, so that the very large: majority of the public, prone only to follow the loudest shouter, and to consider every scoffer a sage, every assailant a hero and every victim of assault as in the wrong, still continues to regard the idea of an international language as a frivolous, infantile notion. It is not this public that we undertake to convince, for all our words would lie wasted in vain. This class only time will convince. Tomorrow it will be constructing monuments to the pioneers of the idea, with the same mob-instinct with which it. now pelts them with mud. Our discourse is intended only for those who have tried to assume towards our idea an attitude of independent judgment, but, who, under the influence of various opinions received, have lost their balance, do not know what attitude to take, would wish to believe, and at the same time are tormented by constant doubts. For these we will here analyse the question whether we, the friends of the idea of an international language, are really working for some utopian scheme, and whether, as our opponents believe, all our labours will be wasted for nought; or whether we are making for an end clearly defined, indubitable and certain of later accomplishment.
We are aware, esteemed listeners, that you are accustomed to treat with respect only such arguments as are teeming with quotations, interwoven with an array of high-sounding names of authorities and ablaze with an incrustation of high-flown would-be-scientific terms. We warn you that nothing of all this will be found in our discourse. If you think only that worthy of your attention which is bound up with high-sounding names, read some work about international language, and you will there find a long series of renowned and authoritative scientists who have laboured for the idea of an international language. But here we will discharge all superfluous ballast, and will speak to you only in the name of naked logic. Pay no regard to what Peter says or what John says, but think for yourselves. If our arguments are right, accept them,-if they are wrong, reject them, were even thousands of highsounding names attached to them.
We will systematically analyse the following questions :- (1), Whether an international language is required; (2), whether it is possible in principle; (3), whether the hope exists that it really will be introduced in practice ; (4), when and how this will be done, and what kind of language will be introduced ; (5), whether our present endeavours are leading towards any definite end, or whether we are still acting blindly and running the risk of seeing our labours perish in vain, and whether reasoning men must still stand aloof from us until "the thing becomes clear.''