The Quest for a Universal Language throughout Human History

The article examines the age-old search of humankind for a universal language, which would make it possible to overcome the linguistic and cultural barriers. The authors a) state the importance of the problem, b) analyze how the perspective on the language of common communication changed over time, and c) discuss the reasons for the failures in constructing a global lingua franca on the basis of an artificial language. A conclusion is made that artificial languages have failed as means of overcoming language and cultural barriers because they find it very difficult to answer the challenges of the changing world in all spheres of life due to the absence of any ethnocultural ties. The authors point out the topicality of this area as a subject for academic study.