Language game theory
- Created by: amandacygal
- Created on: 19-10-16 20:10
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- Language Game Theory
- Wittgenstein early work in his book Tracts influenced the logical positivists. Wittgenstein proposed the picture theory which suggested meaning was found in language if it was in relation to what we saw in the world such as 'cat on the mat' when we can see that there is a cat sat on a mat.
- In his later work Philosophical Investigations Wittgenstein criticised logical positivism as he believed that language statements weren't trying to be true or false, their meaning was instead found within its use in context of different 'forms of life'
- for e.g. medical language would be true or false for a doctor but not necessarily for a chef
- Wittgenstein called it the 'Language game theory' which he discovered while watching a game of football.Language is a game or a 'form of life' and each form of life has its own set of rules concerning the meaning of their statements in the context of the subject
- Language statements are non-cognitive and aren't trying to make universally true statements but rather communicate meaning to others playing that language game or form f life. otherwise it would be like playing rugby with the rules of monopoly.
- RL is about making meaningful statements to other believers. Forms of life cannot be criticised by people in different games or forms, and you must learn the rules and conventions of it before entering the game.
- each game has a 'criteria of coherence' which is the players abiding by the right rules for the right game, the game will have an internal consistency which makes it true to all people in it, Wittgenstein claimed 'don't ask for the meaning ask for the use'
- Eg. Tools, Wittgenstein said to think of a tool box, it contains pliers, spanners, rulers, hammer, screw drivers, and he said that the language was as diverse as the functions of the objects. Claiming that to understand just the language without each function is superficial knowledge and that without knowing the functions we can't be in that form of life e.g. in this case builder
- it is in this way that people outside that form of life will find the language game meaningless and thus non-believers will see religious language as meaningless because they don't understand it.
- its this misunderstanding that is known as 'category mistake' for e.g. when a religious believer talks of a soul and a scientist tried to find it as a physical object there would be a clash of language games.
- it is in this way that people outside that form of life will find the language game meaningless and thus non-believers will see religious language as meaningless because they don't understand it.
- Eg. Tools, Wittgenstein said to think of a tool box, it contains pliers, spanners, rulers, hammer, screw drivers, and he said that the language was as diverse as the functions of the objects. Claiming that to understand just the language without each function is superficial knowledge and that without knowing the functions we can't be in that form of life e.g. in this case builder
- each game has a 'criteria of coherence' which is the players abiding by the right rules for the right game, the game will have an internal consistency which makes it true to all people in it, Wittgenstein claimed 'don't ask for the meaning ask for the use'
- RL is about making meaningful statements to other believers. Forms of life cannot be criticised by people in different games or forms, and you must learn the rules and conventions of it before entering the game.
- Language statements are non-cognitive and aren't trying to make universally true statements but rather communicate meaning to others playing that language game or form f life. otherwise it would be like playing rugby with the rules of monopoly.
- In his later work Philosophical Investigations Wittgenstein criticised logical positivism as he believed that language statements weren't trying to be true or false, their meaning was instead found within its use in context of different 'forms of life'
- D.Z phillips illustrated 3 examples of language game: Phillips also believed RL to be non-cognitive
- when a believer says 'i believe in God' they are not insinuating to others that there is a God and we should look at what the believer means
- When a believer is praying they aren't trying to present facts so the real question is about the the believer is doing while praying
- finally when a believer says they believe in eternal life it doesn't mean they believe they will live forever but rather the implications it makes about the life theyre living now to phillips eternal life is the reality of goodness in which human life is to be addressed.
- Wittgenstein early work in his book Tracts influenced the logical positivists. Wittgenstein proposed the picture theory which suggested meaning was found in language if it was in relation to what we saw in the world such as 'cat on the mat' when we can see that there is a cat sat on a mat.
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