Ludwig Wittgenstein · Philosophy

The Turn: Language-Games and Meaning as Use

Wittgenstein returns to philosophy and overturns his own first book. Meaning is not a picture and words do not mean by labelling objects; the meaning of a word is its <em>use</em> in the practices of life. Language is a motley of &lsquo;language-games&rsquo; woven into &lsquo;forms of life&rsquo;, with no single hidden essence.

What you'll be able to recall

You learned that the later Wittgenstein rejected the picture theory: meaning is not a label or a picture but the use of a word in practice; language is a motley of &lsquo;language-games&rsquo; embedded in &lsquo;forms of life&rsquo;, and concepts are united by &lsquo;family resemblance&rsquo; rather than a common esse…

Leads to Saint Augustine.

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