Linguistics and Brain Science: (Dis-)connections in Nineteenth Century Aphasiology

During the nineteenth century, linguistics and aphasiology both underwent rapid, but allegedly unrelated developments. In this article, I present a somewhat more differentiated picture of their relationship. In linguistics, interest in aphasiology was almost, but not altogether absent. And despite a general lack of linguistic interest in medical circles, aphasiologists occasionally appealed to linguistic ideas. This appeal was scarce and variable, however. The situation of predominant disconnectedness raises some questions: why was there only a minimal contact between disciplines in a situation of spectacular scientific developments at their intersection? And how can exceptions to this general pattern be explained?

A closer look at the intellectual situation in both disciplines will yield some clues to answering these questions. Special attention will be paid to Steinthal’s contribution to aphasiology. His chapter on language disorders has been referred to as the great exception: a unique and promising example of interdisciplinary neurolinguistics-avant-la-lettre. I will argue that this is an overstatement. Steinthal’s text bears witness of linguistic-psychological sophistication, but is not a programmatic plea for a new linguistically-informed approach to aphasiology.