Summary:
This article delves into the innovative ideas of two great philosophers of the 20th century, Wittgenstein and Heidegger, in the philosophy of language. The article begins with a review of traditional metaphysics' understanding of linguistic transparency, and then shows how Wittgenstein emphasized the social and contextual nature of language through his theory of language games, and how Heidegger emphasized the role of language in revealing the fundamental relationship between the being and the world through the concept of language as a home of being. The article contrasts the similarities and differences between the two men's challenge to traditional concepts of language and their innovation of the concept of truth.
I. Introduction
In the 20th century, the philosophy of language occupied a core position in the philosophical arena and became an important channel to explore the relationship between human thought, knowledge, existence and reality. During this period, language was no longer seen as a transparent medium, but as a framework for constructing the world and understanding. In this context, Heidegger and Wittgenstein, as two philosophical giants, not only subverted the traditional concept of language, but also had a profound impact on ontology, cognitive science, and social structure, shaping the philosophical landscape in the second half of the 20th century.
II. Historical Background and Traditional Criticism of the Philosophy of Language
A. An overview of the metaphysical view of language
Language has played a central role in the long history of Western philosophy, especially in metaphysical discussions. In the early Representationist tradition, language was seen as a direct reflection of reality, a kind of transparent window through which we could see the world without deviation. Language is assumed to be a passive reflection of reality, ignoring its ability to actively construct reality, as well as the cultural, historical, and social nature that language itself carries. This assumption of transparency takes language for granted and ignores its mediating role in the interaction between human experience and the world.
B. The common starting point of Wittgenstein and Heidegger
Ludeger's and Wittgenstein's philosophical paths, despite their different philosophical paths, have something in common in their critique of language, especially their questioning of traditional transparency. They all overemphasize the transparency of language, believing that language is not only a mirror of reality, but an active tool to participate in the construction of reality.
They critique the representationalism of language in traditional philosophy, arguing that language itself is a mode of being, a part of ontology, rather than an external, neutral tool. Wittgenstein was concerned with the practical function of language, while Heidegger was ontological in terms of ontology, but both emphasized the constructivity of language.
C. Background and philosophical paths
Ludeger's and Wittgenstein's philosophical backgrounds are significantly different, with the former being phenomenological and the latter being closer to analytic philosophy, which influenced their approach to language analysis. In Being and Time, Ludeger, starting from the theory of existence, explores the role of language in the world, how language reveals existence, and emphasizes the relationship between the living being and the world.
Wittgenstein, on the other hand, focuses more on the sociality of language and everyday language practice, the theory of language games, and how language is used in real life, rather than on theoretical construction. Wittgenstein's background in analytic philosophy led him to focus on the social practice of language, while Heidegger's phenomenology led him to delve into the ontology of language. These differences in philosophical backgrounds and schools make their approaches to language more focused, but they complement each other, and jointly critique the traditional metaphysical view of language.
III. Wittgenstein's Language Games and Forms of Life
A. The transition from Treatise on Logic and Philosophy to Philosophical Studies
Wittgenstein's understanding of language underwent a profound transformation, from the pursuit of logical formalism in the Treatise on the Philosophy of Logic to the concern with the everyday use of language in the Philosophical Investigations. In the early days, he tried to formalize language through logic to capture the essence of thought, but gradually realized that the complexity of language is closely intertwined with life. In Philosophical Investigations, he abandoned the attempt to find fixed rules or essences to define language, and instead focused on the practical use of language in daily life, emphasizing the diversity and practicality of language, which marked a huge turn in his philosophy of language.
B. Theory of language games
The theory of linguistic games was a central concept of Wittgenstein's later years, and he likened language to a series of "games", each with its own rules but no fixed definition, and the rules are understood by the participants in a particular situation. This suggests that language is not just a static symbolic correspondence, but an activity that changes flexibly in a given context, relying on shared social practices. Games emphasize the social nature of language, the meaning of language does not exist independently, but is generated through social interaction and communication, and each game is a unique language activity, reflecting the diversity and dynamics of the situation.
C. The concept of forms of life
In Wittgenstein's philosophy, the "form of life" is a broader framework for understanding language and practice, and the form of life forms form the basis of communication. It refers to the practices that constitute the shared context of a particular cultural and social life, such as customs, conventions, which imperceptibly understand the context of the language. The form of life provides the stage for the language game, so that the rules of the game are understood and the language is made sense in it. The form of life is not a static structure, but a dynamic structure that changes with the practice of life.
In philosophy, the form of life reveals the depth of language comprehension, which is not only understood in a specific social context, but also the use and comprehension of language as a manifestation of the form of life, which occupies a central position in Wittgenstein's philosophy. The form of life emphasizes the social, formal, and practical nature of language, revealing the dynamic nature of language, rather than the static logical structure.
IV. Heidegger's ontological view of language
A. Existence and Language
In Heidegger's Being and Time, language is placed at the heart of ontology, not only as a means of communication, but also as a means of being. According to Heidegger, language is part of the "Existenz in der Welt-sein" (Existenz in der Welt-sein), not an independent addendum, a direct expression of the human state of being. Language is not just a description of the world, but a revelation of the world and the human state of being, how it exists, is the bridge between the being and the world, and through language, we understand the relationship between the being and the world.
B. Language as the home of existence
In Heidegger's conception of language, language is likened to the "home of being", emphasizing its fundamental nature in human existence. Language is not a simple system of symbols, but the way in which the being constitutes the being, the way in which the being exists in the world. Language, as a home, is the place where the being lives, the environment for the existence to understand and act, and the transcendental presupposition for the being's understanding and action of the world. The home of language is not the physical space inhabited by external beings, but the framework for understanding, interpreting, and participating in the world, which forms the basis of our existence and the conditions for how beings are in the world.
C. The occurrence of the concept of truth (aletheia).
Heidegger's concept of truth (aletheia), unlike the traditional correspondence theory, does not see truth as the correspondence between statements and facts, but as revelations. Truth takes place in language, it is the revelation of being, it is the revelation of being. The concept of truth (aletheia) is the event of the truth of existence, not a static judgment but a process of dynamic revelation, and truth is the manifestation of the being in the world.
Heidegger's conception of truth emphasizes that language is not a transmission of information, but a revelation of being, and that truth occurs in the use of language, and that it is the revelation of the being in the world, revealing being. Truth is the relationship between the being and the world, the revelation, not a static correspondence, but the revelation that occurs in the language of the living being. Heidegger's concept of truth is an innovation in the philosophy of language, emphasizing the dynamic nature of language, truth is the revelation of being, the relationship between the being and the world, and the revelation of language in the world is the place where truth occurs.
V. Comparison and Difference Analysis
A. Linguistic boundaries
Wittgenstein's language game and Heidegger's language show very different perspectives on understanding the boundaries of language. Wittgenstein's concept of "language game" emphasizes the plurality and situationality of language, and believes that language is a game with flexible rules in a specific context, without fixed boundaries, highlighting the dynamic nature of language and the diversity of practices.
Heidegger's "Language as the Home of Being" focuses more on the fundamental nature of language in human existence, regards language as the basic mode of existence, the condition of the being's existence, and reveals the relationship between the being and the world. The linguist is the home of the being, which is borderless, but it is necessary for the existence of the being. Both oppose the transparency of language, but Wittgenstein emphasizes the diversity of play and Heidegger emphasizes the foundationality of being.
B. Interweaving theory and practice
From the perspective of language games, Wittgenstein focuses on the practice of language, emphasizing the changeability of language in use and life, and breaking through the static language theory of traditional philosophy. Starting from ontology, Heidegger emphasizes language as a mode of being, breaks through the representationalism of traditional philosophy on language, and regards language as being to reveal being.
In practice, Wittgenstein paid more attention to the daily practice of language, such as everyday dialogue, conventions, and conventions, emphasizing the social nature of language, while Heidegger paid more attention to the practice of language in revealing the existence of beings, such as the revelation of truth. Both of them break through the tradition of theory and practice, but the emphasis is different, Wittgenstein is more social practice, and Heidegger is more existential practice.
C. Transcendence of traditional metaphysics
In their opposition to metaphysics, both Wittgenstein and Heidegger questioned the traditional metaphysics of language, but with different emphases. Wittgenstein criticized the staticness of traditional metaphysics through language games, believed in the transparency of language, emphasized the dynamics and practicality of language, and broke through metaphysics through life practice.
Heidegger, on the other hand, starts from ontology, in which language is the way of being, criticizes metaphysical representationalism, and emphasizes the revelation of existence by language, the relationship between being and the world, and the revelation of truth. Wittgenstein focused more on the dynamic nature of practical metaphysics, while Heidegger focused on the transcendence of ontological metaphysics. Both of them oppose traditional metaphysics and innovate truth, Wittgenstein emphasizes truth in practice, and Heidegger emphasizes the revelation of the truth of being, both of which have a unique understanding and contribution to the innovation of truth in the critique of metaphysics.
VI. Conclusion
Through a comparative study of Wittgenstein's and Heidegger's philosophies of language, we can clearly see the core contributions and differences between the two in the field of philosophy in the 20th century. Wittgenstein broke the transparency of traditional language with the theory of language games, emphasized the social and practical nature of language, revealed the dynamic nature of language, and provided a new perspective for analytic philosophy.
From the perspective of ontology, Heidegger proposed language as the home of being, emphasizing language as the way of human existence, revealing the relationship between the being and the world, and criticizing metaphysics and innovating truth. Both occupy important positions in the history of the philosophy of language, and Wittgenstein's practicality of language and Heidegger's revelation of being have had a profound impact on the philosophy of language.
Author: Lu Xilin
Bibliography:
Treatise on Logic and Philosophy
《Philosophical Studies》
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