(The) Self, le Soi(-même), das Selbst: Ein terminologischer Coup um 1700.

In framing his theory of personal identity, John Locke introduced »the self« as a philosophical term, and the concept has remained current in English to this day. The translations of Locke’s An Essay Concerning Human Understanding (2nd edition of 1694) into French (1700) and German (1757) established »le soi [-même]« and »das Selbst« in the philosophical discourse of the eighteenth century, but the noun forms of Moi and Ich have persisted in these languages as enduring alternatives to »the Self.« This philologically oriented contribution sketches the linguistic backdrop and the translational repercussions of Locke’s immensely influential, if still controversial, concept formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]