J. Locke's "ΣΗΜΙΩΤΙKΉ": history of philosophy's retrospective

The aim of the article is to draw attention to prima facie unexpected occurrence of the notion of semiotics (σημιωτιϗή) in Locke's «An Essay Concerning Human Understanding)). The author demonstrates close relationships between Locke's semiotic ideas and certain philosophical tradition of his predecessors. It is assumed that Locke might have got acquainted with this tradition while studying and tutoring at Oxford University. The author believes that the adequate method of this research is the method of retrospective historical-philosophical analysis. Semiotic ideas of Locke's «Essay...» are successors of Smiglecki's «Logica», especially, Smiglecki's «ens rationis», which, in turn, is related with the Conimbricenses' commentary on Aristotle. Moreover, it is possible to see some similarities between Locke's view on mental propositions and Ockham's mental language, and between Locke's semiotic considerations and Roger Bacon's treatise «On Signs». The article proposes arguments in favor of the philosophical tradition of sign treatises devoted to the role of sign and sign relation, which has its roots in ancient works of Plato, Theophrastus, Philodemus, Stoics and Epicureans. The given consideration provides an additional basis for the acknowledgement of philosophy's continuous development and for the rejection of traditional «borders» between the different stages of history of philosophy.