What are Realist & Anti-Realist Views?
How does this link to religious language?
Who are the 2 notable critics of the principle?
Who is Wittgenstein?
What is the Picture Theory?
What are Language Games?
What are the views of D Z Phillips?
How does Ayer criticise Wittgenstein?
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What
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1. TRUE or FALSE? In his earlier philosophy as found in his book Philosophical Investigations (1955), Wittgenstein argued that for statements to be logical, the words in them had to represent clear things. These words could then be thought of as ‘pictures’ of a situation, just as music might be represented by a musical score. From a logical perspective, Wittgenstein thought it better to remain silent about anything that could not be indicated through this approach.
2. TRUE or FALSE? In his later philosophy, Wittgenstein argued that the only world that human beings truly know is one created by the use of words themselves. Reality is therefore to be found in the manner in which those words are deployed by groups of people in a particular way, in their own specific ‘language games’. Ordinary language still identifies ordinary things, but when it comes to complex ideas and views about life, all that can be said is that ‘This language game is played’.
3. TRUE or FALSE? Wittgenstein specifically referred to religion as a language game.
4. TRUE or FALSE? Later thinkers like DZ Phillips built on Wittgenstein’s position to argue that it is therefore wrong to see religion as consisting of a set of theories about the world that might be verifiable or falsifiable. For Phillips, religion is an expression of human needs, values and desires. As such, the religious language game cannot be judged by the standards of another language game such as science, as its crucial terms (like God, salvation, miracle, prayer) are not being used in a scientific way.
5. Which of the following is NOT an accurate criticism of Phillips?
a. Phillips has been accused of deism (the position that belief rests on faith rather than reason and therefore does not need to be justified) in order to protect religion from all criticism. Just because religious language is used in a certain way does not mean that religious beliefs cannot be attacked or exposed as incoherent.
b. Religious believers do tend to think of God as an independently existing supernatural being who may or may not answer prayers. Many also really do regard the Last Judgement as a future event that is of great importance and that will really take place one day. So Phillips is misrepresenting religion, as the making of religious statements does seem to involve making claims about what does and does not exist.
c. A further problem with language game theory is that ethical criticism becomes suspended, as a consequence of the Wittgensteinian assertion (supported by Phillips) that philosophy simply leaves everything as it is. Many would not be happy with such approach to ethics.
ANSWERS
False – Philosophical Investigations was only published after Wittgenstein’s death. The ideas summarised in the question are found in his much earlier Tractatus.
True
False – he never did.
True
a – fideism is what Phillips was accused of (by Kai Neilsen). The term ‘deism’ refers to belief in the existence of a supreme being, specifically of a creator who does not intervene in the universe.