Religious language as a language game Flashcards
Language is used in lots of different ways and each different function of a language is a different language game.
What was Wittgenstein’s older theory of language?
‘Picture theory of meaning’.
What did the ‘Picture Theory of Meaning’ state?
Words get their meaning by connecting the world in a similar way to how a picture represents reality.
Why was the ‘Picture Theory of Meaning’ discarded by Wittgenstein?
A narrow view.
Meant that any language that couldn’t be verified or falsified was meaningless.
What did Wittgenstein later propose?
The meaning of a word is in its function in the language.
What are some examples of different purposes of language?
Why are they important?
To greet, to thank, to exclaim etc
None can be verified, but are still meaningful if we understand their function in its CONTEXT.
What does Wittgenstein say about the function of religious language?
Each function of a language is different LANGUAGE GAME within a FORM OF LIFE.
How do we understand the meaning of a word?
‘look and see’
