"Non modo sermo eius est respuendus, sed et ipse conspuendus" : semantica storica di una formula anselmiana

In the ninth chapter of Anselm of Canterbury's response to Gaunilo's Liber pro insipiente, the argument culminates in a striking statement: "Non modo sermo eius est respuendus, sed et ipse conspuendus". This passage exemplifies a linguistic and semantic formula where rhetorical devices are tightly interwoven with dialectical procedures, serving not merely as ornamentation or exhortation, but as essential components of the argumentative structure of the reasoning process. This paper aims first to trace the occurrence of this formula within medieval theological literature, particularly in monastic contexts. Secondly, it seeks to identify the textual sources of this expression through a study of historical semantics. Finally, establishing the synchronic and diachronic context of this formula will highlight the discontinuity of Anselm's argumentative method from its Scriptural origins and from the theological landscape of the eleventh century. [Publisher's text]