Religious Language as a Language Game Flashcards
Wittgenstein’s early view of language
He used to believe in the ‘picture theory’ of meaning, words have to picture something in the real world.(facts) Meaning derives from how accurately the language pictures the real state of affairs, anything else is nonsense. (Influenced by Ayer)
Wittgenstein’s later view of language
He later began to strongly criticise his narrow view. He realised that our language is far richer and more complex and it was stupid to rule out the rest of language because it couldn’t be proved true or false.
Meaning must derive from something other than factual significance.
Meaning derived from use
Wittgenstein- believed many conflicts in philosophy were from a misunderstanding of language, they thing they know what someone means but misunderstand.
this presumes words have one specific meaning but there are a variety of different meanings so we have to pay close attention to situations and purposes of language to be able to understand the meaning.
Wittgenstein quote of misunderstanding of language
“Philosophical problems arise when language goes on holiday”
“The meaning of a word is it’s use in the language”
Meaning continued
Understanding the meaning is about being able to use the word appropriately in different contexts.
Language games
Wittgenstein accepted our thinking was governed by rules but he doubted whether rationality could be investigated independently from other forms of human activity. The different uses of language are activities that take place in different contexts. “Language games”
Language games continued
Language operates according to certain rules that vary according to context. These rules can evolve and die out just like games. Misunderstandings occur when people do not understand the “rules” of language that apply in a given context. He argued that it was a mistake to see one use of a word as better than another.
Application to religion
In this view, religious statements are meaningful because of their role in the religious “language game”. People who are surrounded by this language are able to use it appropriately according to the rules as it’s their form of life.
Forms of life
A group- students, family, christians. Language games need no justification, the meaning comes from understanding the context.
Religion and science
Religious language can therefore be understood as part of a religious life, but religious language makes claims about things and events that are open to scientific justification “God exists”. But religious people don’t use this as a claim about objective reality but instead a statement of commitment to a particular way of living and understanding life.
D.Z.Philips
Argues that to talk of God only makes sense within the religious form of life and to understand religious language is to understand the commitment involved. Religious use of language demonstrates that religious claims are not used in a factual way but that they fit in with other beliefs in the religious form of life.
D.Z.Philips continued
Religion does not have to be compatible with scientific facts as religion is an autonomous form of life which doesn’t need support from external evidence.
Religion is not meant to tell us about the basic structure of reality, that’s the sphere of the scientific form of life.
Philips and external life
Philips argues that the christian belief in life after death is not something factually true or false to be confirmed eschatologically.
Philips interpretation of the soul
‘External life’ is a way of judging the goodness of life. It prevents believers from being selfishly obsessed with their possible future. This use of language allows believers to become truly selfless.
Criticisms
From Wittgenstein’s- it divorces meaning from any connection to the real world. If someone talks about something made up it can still be meaningful if they have a consistent set of rules for their discussion. This is an anti-realist view of language, when applied to religious language it doesn’t work because they think their talk about God/the afterlife actually relates to an external reality.
