On Style - Classic Text | Alexandria
On Style (Περὶ λέξεως) by Antisthenes - A lost ancient Greek treatise on rhetoric and linguistic style, attributed to Antisthenes of Athens (c. 445-365 BCE), represents one of the earliest known systematic investigations into the nature of language and literary expression. This influential work, though surviving only in fragmentary references, marks a crucial development in the history of literary criticism and philosophical linguistics.
First mentioned in Diogenes Laërtius's "Lives of Eminent Philosophers" (3rd century CE), the text emerged from the intellectual ferment of late 5th century BCE Athens, when sophisticated discussions about language and its relationship to truth were transforming Greek thought. As a student of Gorgias and later of Socrates, Antisthenes occupied a unique position at the intersection of sophistic rhetoric and Socratic philosophy, allowing him to bridge these seemingly contradictory approaches to language and knowledge.
The work's influence can be traced through various ancient sources, suggesting it contained groundbreaking ideas about the relationship between words and reality. Antisthenes reportedly argued for linguistic naturalism - the view that words have a natural connection to the things they signify - in opposition to the conventional view that language was merely arbitrary. This perspective profoundly influenced subsequent philosophical debates about language, particularly among the Stoics, who developed sophisticated theories of meaning partially inspired by Antisthenes's insights.
The legacy of "On Style" continues to intrigue modern scholars, particularly in discussions about the origins of linguistic theory and the relationship between language and truth. Though the original text remains lost, its echoes reverberate through contemporary debates in philosophy of language and linguistic theory. The work's disappearance, like many ancient texts, leaves tantalizing questions about what other revolutionary ideas it might have contained, making it a compelling subject for ongoing scholarly investigation. Its influence on ancient thought suggests that modern discussions about linguistic meaning and style may still have much to learn from this earliest systematic treatment of language and expression.