Religious language as a game

Question 1

Explain ‘the meaning of something is its truth’.

Answer 1

We can understand language because the language that we hear bears some kind of resemblance to something within our experience that relates to some kind of reality that we can define.

Question 2

What are the two understandings of the concept of truth?

Answer 2

Coherence and correspondence

Question 3

What is the correspondence understanding of truth?

Answer 3

The realist position, something is held to be true by virtue of its relationship with the external and knowable world.

Question 4

Where does the correspondence view of truth stand?

Answer 4

It is an empiricist position and is sympathetic to the philosophical view of the logical positivists.

Question 5

Give an analogy for the correspondence of truth theory.

Answer 5

The idea that the planet is spherical in shape, this belief is true as it corresponds with actual reality and can be verified by actual photogenic evidence.

Question 6

What is the coherence theory of truth?

Answer 6

Anti realist position, truth is determined by its interpretation by a certain group of people. Interpretations of reality.

Question 7

How does the historical analogy fit with the coherence theory of truth?

Answer 7

Many believed that the earth was flat which was scientifically accurate, according to them it was the truth as it cohered with their view of reality.

Question 8

What was imperative for Wittgenstein?

Answer 8

We must understand which language game we are playing when we use particular forms of language as otherwise it would be inevitable to misunderstand the language game that is being played.

Question 9

As language in this context is non cognitive, where does its meaningfulness come from?

Answer 9

The context in which the language is being used.

Question 10

Are language games exclusive?

Answer 10

Language games can be learned and as many games, they have common features such as a ‘family resemblance’ according to Wittgenstein.

Question 11

According to Wittgenstein, when will we understand the rules of language?

Answer 11

The meaningfulness of language comes not from the words themselves but rather from the way in which the words are used.

Question 12

According to Wittgenstein, what changes according to the type of game being played?

Answer 12

Different types of games have common features for example different board games have similar features that they don’t share with a ball game.

Question 13

How did Wittgenstein relate language to a picture?

Answer 13

The random colours make a picture just as language is just random sounds which mean something because they are relatable and therefore mean something to us.

Question 14

What was the aim of Wittgenstein’s investigations into language?

Answer 14

To present a philosophical view of how language is used rather than to influence it or change how we use language.

Question 15

Give a challenge to language games regarding non cognitivism.

Answer 15

By recognising that language cannot be held to objective scrutiny, we are denying through implications that religious language statement cannot be objectively true.

Question 16

Give a challenge to Wittgenstein’s theory according to Rush rhees?

Answer 16

The theory rested on the assumption that games and language had a strong connection, in analogical terms.

• language is about making sense to other people
• The explanation of language has been given in language, so people who have never heard or spoken language would not understand.
• When using language, it is not enough to know whether we are using language, we must be able to understand it.

Question 17

Give a challenge to Wittgenstein’s language games.

Answer 17

He states that each language game has its own rules which are pertinent to it and do not extend so how can 2 users of different language games communicate.