Der Individuumsbegriff in Wilhelm von Humboldts Sprachwissenschaft und Philosophie

The present paper aims to investigate the concept of the individual in the work of Wilhelm von Humboldt. It is not an easy task to deal with such a multifaceted author, who still fascinates scholars from different disciplines and whose ideas have been analyzed in detail. The starting point of the following reflections is the fact that Humboldt’s ideas are timeless and significant for our understanding of the contemporary age. Above all, the paper focuses on an analysis of the concept of the individual that lies at the centre of Humboldt’s thought, whether it be his political theory, his study of language as the highest expression of the human spirit, or his philosophical Anthropology and History.