Lambert ten Kate and physicotheology

Abstract

This contribution discusses the work of the Dutch dilettante linguist Lambert Ten Kate (1674–1731), the first scholar to describe the system of Ablaut. It is claimed that ten Kate, who was also active as an amateur naturalist and writer-translator of religious works, took the same approach to all his research. This is a physicotheological view. Physicotheology is a school of theology that emerged at the end of the 17th century and remained popular well into the 18th century, which sought to gain knowledge about God through experimental research and which tried to prove his greatness, omnipotence and wisdom on the basis of hard facts which resulted from experimental research. Ten Kate’s important linguistic works should be seen in this context as an attempt to prove that a thorough analysis of the apparently chaotic language facts would reveal the system behind them. This system has been instilled into man by God and mankind has built it up through his reason.