Religious language as a language game- Wittgenstein

    Cards (10)

    • why did Wittgenstein reject the verification and falsification principles?
      in his view religious claims are not like scientific ones:
      • the mistake made by philosophers like ayer and flew is to apply the language from the language game of science to religion
      • the meaning of a word derived from the context in which it is used
    • words don't indicate an object but perform a function
      • its like playing chess, where the player needs to know the rules of the game, i.e. to understand how the words function in that particular context
      • Wittgenstein said we shouldn't ask for the meaning of a word but for the use
    • language games are connected to a 'form of behaviour' (a form of social behaviour)
      • speaking is an activity in which words gain their sense.
    • language is something that is learned from others
      • it is a part of learned behaviour, in which the tone in which the words are uttered indicates their significance.
    • the word 'god' is not an object
      • it is a word used in religious contexts, e.g. in baptism
      • its meaning is in the context in which it is used
      • instead of asking, 'what is god?', the question should be 'in what contexts should that word be used?'
      • only those who belong to a religious tradition can fully understand and appreciate the emotion and aura surrounding religious statements such as 'god loves me'
      • this means that it isn't a single language game, given the number of widely varying religious traditions.
    • religious language cannot be claimed to be true or false
      • its meaning is defined by the user within their religious language game
    • strength of language games
      it allows a range of meaning for language rather than trying to put it in one 'box'.
    • weakness of language games
      it is virtually impossible to enter into debate with those coming from another language game, e.g. that of atheism.
    • strength & response of language games
      S: it allows for religious statements to be 'belief in'
      W: this is important, but most religious believers think that religious claims are also cognitive.
    • language game
      wittgenstein's name for the idea that language has a meaning within a particular social context, each context being governed by rules in the same way that different games are governed by different rules. the meaning of a statement is nothing to do with verification/falsification but with the context in which it occurs. each context has its own rules.