Submitted by BernardJOrtcutt t3_1118wno in philosophy
bradyvscoffeeguy t1_j8v7dq8 wrote
Reply to comment by ngn0318 in /r/philosophy Open Discussion Thread | February 13, 2023 by BernardJOrtcutt
I'll add that I take the Wittgensteinian view that language's meaning is determined by its use. This means that words can have different meanings, or at least intended meanings, not only in different contexts but also by different people. When a baby says "Mama", it isn't just saying someone's name, it is asking for its mother's attention. When a Muslim says God ("Allah" in Arabic), they typically mean something very different from what a Christian means. When you listen to someone talk, in order to understand what they mean you have to make many inferences into how they are using their words. Arts like poetry and rap can utilise this to layer meanings on top of each other. When you are trying to communicate something precisely, you need to try to make it as easy as possible for others to correctly infer what you mean. That may mean abandoning or giving a definition for what you mean by "god".
Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments